Our First Christmas as a Family of Four

Santa came to our house a couple days early. We have my family's Christmas on Christmas Eve day and Drew's family's on Christmas Day. Kate didn't know any better and Ben is just along for the ride. The night before Kate and I baked cookies for Santa, we set the "magic" key out so he could get through the front door, and she went to bed amazingly easy!

The next morning she had forgotten all the hype from the night before and we had a restful morning. When we made our way down to the family room she had exactly the right reaction. She gasps, "Oh my goodness, he came!" I've decided that Christmas is so much more fun with a little one around. It should be mandatory!

The only present Kate asked for was a pink bouncy ball. We've heard about this pink bouncy ball for weeks. I thought finding one would be easy. No such luck...I looked everywhere. I was getting very nervous about not being able to find the one and only gift my daughter asked for!! That's when my mother-in-law came to the rescue. She happened to spy a bouncy ball vending machine at the Monicals in Shelbyville. I sent her to "gamble" a few times at getting the pink one. Instead she had a better idea, she asked the manager to open the machine and she dug through to find the perfect, pink bouncy ball! Thanks Grammy!!

Here are a few pictures of Kate opening her bouncy ball. My favorite is the one when she discovers what is in the box (you'll know the one I'm talking about).




And of course we can't forget Benny on his first Christmas. Lesson learned (the hard way), keep wrapping paper away from the baby. Merry Christmas, Ben.