Holly and jolly and whatnot.

January 20th. Here I am, eeking in all these Christmas pictures just under a month late. Considering our life lately, I'm gonna go ahead and call that a success.

Donut the elf returned on December 1. He brought these slightly dazed children some breakfast. And a warning.

We baked cookies. And exchanged them. And then threw a bunch out, which is what I do every year.

Got a tree, and decorated/acted silly in front of it.

Got this incredible gift in the mail from a sweet friend who is far too crafty for my taste but whom I adore anyway.

 Someone met Santa for the first time (whoops) and loved him.  

That same someone adorned the teacher gifts with what I have to assume are holiday dinos and made his mama laugh.

The kids had their Christmas pageant and the whole pregnant star thing came full circle as I stood on the same stage in the same costume with my baby girl in my arms instead of my belly.

Took the kids to see Llama Llama Holiday Drama, their first live theater experience.

Got dolled up for Christmas Eve services.

(And my baby girl aged two years in one picture. Waaah.)

We also took some sweet pics in the extremely flattering church atrium lighting.

Santa came. 

 

 

And not just for the kiddos. 

 

All was calm, all was bright. At least as far as I remember. It was a month ago, after all. 

 

All I want for Christmas...

Is a decent picture of my children.*

Guess we might be a few years out on that one.

Though they seem to do better on their own.

As long as you don't expect to see their eyes. 

Gratuitous poofy Christmas dress picture. I may have squealed "LOOK HOW CUTE SHE IS" a hundred times at Nate on our way out the door to church.

She was. So so cute. (Thank you, Lord, for giving me a daughter. Really needed her.)

Not a creature was stirring...

 

Although this very excited little boy insisted he'd heard Santa on the roof the night before.

And what did Santa bring?

Just what Calvin asked for: Woody from Toy Story!

And Audra got her first baby.

 

I love their expressions in this one.

Calvin: "Don't even think about it, baby."
Audra: "Whatever, dude. I'm stealing your stuff as soon as you look away."

And steal it she did. Can't blame her, Reese's Pieces are far superior to goldfish and yogurt melts.

Calvin's excitement in these pictures is rivaled only by Nate's.

In a shocking twist of events, Audra didn't even crack a smile while opening her gifts.

Happy, entertained babies.

Good job, Santa. Maybe you can get me that picture next year?

*And a few things from the Boden 70% off sale.**
**And world peace. Obviously.