Santa & Christmas Day

Christmas Eve brought our family back home. The girls wanted to make sure that Santa knew where to find us. The first order of business was to make Christmas cookies for Santa, which took us to Raleigh’s house:

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pKA5V_M7UMg/UNk0PfhyuNI/AAAAAAAAFpg/QAoaK6dHSzg/s144/DSC_1007.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825745033746364626″ caption=”SMUSH!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1007.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LgPF4YSQ76U/UNk1TJbOngI/AAAAAAAAFqY/6FCJbglMxTo/s144/DSC_1075.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825746196044357122″ caption=”Won't Santa love these cookies?!? RAWR” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1075.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-v7xVe468y3k/UNk1cWNL1KI/AAAAAAAAFqg/Yvr3jGSposI/s144/DSC_1076.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825746354093937826″ caption=”RAAAAWWRRRR” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1076.JPG” ]

[pe2-gallery album=”aHR0cDovL3BpY2FzYXdlYi5nb29nbGUuY29tL2RhdGEvZmVlZC9iYXNlL3VzZXIvMTAzMzY5MTE1OTg2MjE3NTE4NjYzL2FsYnVtaWQvNTgyNTUwNjQ3Mzc0MjMwNTY2NT9hbHQ9cnNzJmFtcDtobD1lbl9VUyZraW5kPXBob3Rv” tags=”Santa cookies”]

Then it was time to prepare for Christmas, attend the Christmas Eve service and pick out the cookies for Santa.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C8R_5j6klMs/UNk10PiuOWI/AAAAAAAAF3Y/Ns-6wrZbDq4/s144/IMG_20121224_171826.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825746764622084450″ caption=”Grace, Madelyn and Mommy singing "Silent Night"” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20121224_171826.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dwCr6LefK-0/UNk3twEE3OI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/lMPTOE0IWZI/s144/DSC_1096.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825748852116085986″ caption=”Mmmm, lucky Santa” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1096.JPG” ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CtC85QuG8n8/UNk5xtp1tEI/AAAAAAAAF3M/g1ov5at0rfw/s144/DSC_1135.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825751119211902018″ caption=”Grace, Madelyn and Dad reading "The Night Before Christmas"” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1135.JPG” ]

And after reading LOTS of books, we finally got the girls to settle down and go to bed. So then it was time to prepare for Christmas morning:

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SzJqIn7wWC0/UNk59KXorUI/AAAAAAAAF3Q/ZHh0H3iFoHc/s144/DSC_1139.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825751315898740034″ caption=”All of the loot awaiting Christmas morning” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1139.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VSTgO2lSqYs/UNm_lTG51gI/AAAAAAAAF1A/cd2E2Oovr78/s144/DSC_1142.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825898240485742082″ caption=”Grace racing to see the presents” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1142.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VWjWvEPoZHU/UNnBEcIAsrI/AAAAAAAAFyU/2Yx1-VgcxHk/s144/DSC_1155.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825899874993877682″ caption=”Choo choooooo!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1155.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FurUWMj1caE/UNnDEgV0AhI/AAAAAAAAFzU/EFhswO6PTGw/s144/DSC_1167.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825902075148763666″ caption=”Here you go Maddie” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1167.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IQePznli60U/UNnDfEZkBKI/AAAAAAAAFzk/fIFixfnjBu8/s144/DSC_1175.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825902531504768162″ caption=”I'm so pretty!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1175.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-uAsXhfZt9Ag/UNnEy6M8lsI/AAAAAAAAF0c/yNsXqJIHaPE/s144/DSC_1191.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825903971876509378″ caption=”Oooo, play food!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1191.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hYXOmjrqKV0/UNnE7xl2bbI/AAAAAAAAF0k/H0kUW0TheYs/s144/DSC_1195.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825904124183866802″ caption=”There's gotta be some more candy in here!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1195.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ]

And finally it was time for presents from the family. Of course, the girls went first:

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6YIUNOvlJ2Q/UNnOZXEKySI/AAAAAAAAF4E/5pbilGsBo0A/s144/DSC_1212.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825914528063998242″ caption=”YEAAAAAY!!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1212.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NYfdPW61XDA/UNnOmM4sypI/AAAAAAAAF4M/bufzihVWrvo/s144/DSC_1219.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825914748669840018″ caption=”Oh boy, princess castle blocks!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1219.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ivMHJ2xHzgs/UNnPE-sH_YI/AAAAAAAAF4g/K-2qKYRmPmk/s144/DSC_1230.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825915277434944898″ caption=”New books!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1230.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XH9Idc8YdvY/UNnPTtMk1kI/AAAAAAAAF4o/JShVs8LR_eg/s144/DSC_1233.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825915530437252674″ caption=”Look Dad, its an iPad!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1233.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GW69TpUC9SM/UNnPgAdKEnI/AAAAAAAAF4w/1_0z76z_70g/s144/DSC_1237.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825915741765505650″ caption=”According to Grace: "Dad, you can't use my iPad"” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1237.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kA8wFqSoYiA/UNnP2v4URYI/AAAAAAAAF5A/uuL3M9F86js/s144/DSC_1241.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825916132453008770″ caption=”Did you make that, Grace?” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1241.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ] [pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-A0XL8RXHkDk/UNnRACrdfJI/AAAAAAAAF5w/e9aNPmmkMPY/s144/DSC_1255.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/103369115986217518663/Christmas2012#5825917391629810834″ caption=”More dishes!” type=”image” alt=”DSC_1255.JPG” pe2_single_image_size=”w185″ ]

Whew, what a busy, crazy day. All of the photos from Christmas so far are posted out on Google+.

Christmas round one

Making the presents