Sam was so excited, he said "Hi" to the Christmas tree, or the Santas and snowmen decorating the house every 5 minutes or so all month long. And if he wasn't saying "Hi christmas tree," then he was busy pointing them out to everyone else.
He had a blast at his birthday party with his cousins (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle were really just taking up space) and really liked his cake (see picture below). He also got in some good present opening practice which was important for the following week.
Christmas Eve was exciting with the family at Grandma and Grandpa's house, both for the anticipation for the next morning and for the uncertainty of anyone's ability to get home. We had received about a foot of snow the previous 24 hours and were expecting more overnight. Perfect whether for Santa and Reindeer, but not so good for driving.
We did make it home, though, and with enough time to leave some cookies (which Sam helped to make) and milk out for Santa and a carrot or two for his reindeer. Then Sam went up to bed excited for the next morning. He must have been dreaming about it all night because when he woke up Christmas morning, the first two phrases he spoke were; "go downstairs, open presents" and "Santa eat cookies and milk".
Well, we went downstairs and verified that the cookies and milk were eaten (a thank you note from Santa confirmed it) and proceeded to open presents. Well, one anyway, and then Sam wanted to play with it for the next half hour. Needless to say, by the end of the NEXT day, all the presents were open and everyone was basking in post Christmas merriment.
Addie was not left in the cold this Christmas either. Santa, Mom and Dad made sure she had a special day as well. And she returned the favor by lighting up the atmosphere with smiles and smiles and smiles. The girl just won't stop! She's cute as a button, but I'm getting a little tired of smiling back all the time (not!).
All in all, it has been a great holiday season. Oh, and the best part is we took over 800 pictures! We'll be culling through that mess soon and posting a new album on the right so check back soon. However, a few instant classics are below. Happy Holidays!
