Christmas

This Christmas we spent it together, just our little family, here in Houston. 

We had been very sick leading up to Christmas and still held onto awful coughs, slight fevers, and overall sluggishness through the holiday. 

Christmas Eve came and our girls were beyond excited and could care less that we didn't have a bunch planned (or anything planned really)

We were invited to go to our friends' home for a small party, but Maggie was still fighting something pretty hard, so we had to pass.

We did decide to head to the park, because we were going CRAZY stuck inside and our girls desperately needed to burn off some energy.

First are a few pictures from the park...

(courtesy of Tanner's phone)

Maggie is a daredevil at the park.

Could care less about heights and is always game for trying new things.

Scares the dickens out of me.

Gwen's favorite part of the park is the sandbox.

It is heaven for her.

Here's Layla building something.

This girl couldn't NOT talk about Christmas every 2 seconds it seemed.

Once she even told me, "I just can't help it! My brain just keeps thinking about Christmas even when I tell it to calm down!!"

I love her enthusiasm.

 Once we got home we were ready to open Christmas jammies!

The girls were SO excited to get new nightgowns, although Gwen was a tad bit disappointed that it wasn't a Merida (from Brave) nightgown.

That girl had gone back and forth between wanting a Cinderella or Merida gown, but somehow must have changed her mind again between that time.

Oh well, she loves it now!

Maggie got a little Rapunzel sleeper, but we put her to sleep early, because she wasn't feeling so hot.

All the excitement was getting to her.

Here we are setting out Santa's plate. 

We left him some cookies, candies, and carrots for the reindeer.

The girls also had drawn pictures for him.

Cutest things!

Layla made 2 pictures. 

One at home and one at school.

Big girls with Daddy

Big girls with Mommy

We had quite the eventful night.

Not exactly what you hope for as a parent, but such is life.

Tanner took the girls out this year to look at lights, while I stayed behind with the sleeping baby.

Once they got home and went to bed, Tanner passed out on the couch.

Like right away.

Fine with me, I had things to do anyway.

I turned on "It's a Wonderful Life" and started making my cinnamon rolls for the morning.

After I was finished, I tried to wake Tanner to get him to help me set up Christmas.

He woke up, but just enough to climb into bed upstairs.

Oh well, I was still really excited to do it anyway.

The minute I placed the first few presents under the tree, I hear it.

Cough, cough, cough.... throw up.

It was Layla.

She was coughing so hard that she kept throwing up.

So sad.

Tanner woke up, because he heard her too and decided to lie down with her in her room, while I finished setting things up.

After a little clean up, she was back asleep.

She's so funny, at one point she said, "This is the craziest night of my LIFE!"

I had so much fun shopping for my girls and getting packages in the mail from Grandparents and friends.

I think things turned out quite nicely!

Layla's Santa gift was the Strawberry Shortcake Doll Set. They each smell like their fruit. Very cute.

Gwen really wanted a Doc McStuffins Doctor Kit.

And Maggie got a new baby doll.

Some other highlights were new crayons, big story books, clothes, Secret of the Wings movie, and an Ice Cream toy.

Tanner let me order Gwen and Maggie's baby books, so now I have one for each girl completed!

And I also got some new pictures for our living room, although Maggie looks much older now.

Tanner had asked for some new pictures for his office of his family and I also made him a calendar, which he likes a lot.

It was a GREAT Christmas! 

Christmas Morning

I always forget to take pictures during all the craziness, because well, it's just too crazy!

But the girls needed a little help after Tanner and I sang "All the Bells."

I gave them a quick little nudge and ran back out to the bottom of the stairs to wait for them.

They slowly made their way out. haha.

I can't wait until they actually run!

Maggie was SO tired, but very happy and excited once she was up.

Didn't last long though, before needing a nap.

Poor girl didn't feel well at all.

We had cinnamon rolls, oranges, bacon and eggs for breakfast. 

Not a massive feast, but we were satisfied! 

Someone is looking tired from being up late at night!

My poor, sweet girl.