Christmas 2015

Christmas 2015! Looking over past Christmas posts, I love to see the similarities (traditions forming!) and I also love to see how much the boys have changed. This year's festivities were wonderfully 

low-key and sweet. Candlelight Christmas Eve service followed by Chinese take-out and a viewing of the Polar Express (and hot cocoa!). 8:00 am start to Christmas morning (boys obliged). Stockings then presents (with mommy and daddy coffee breaks in between).  Christmas feast by David: roasted duck, brussel sprouts, potatoes. Lots of movie watching and outdoor play time (temps in the 70s!).

I was able to take these fun pictures because David shocked me Christmas morning with a new camera!  A new camera with a big red bow was sitting where I had placed my old camera on Christmas Eve. I love surprises!

 One of the best parts of Christmas was seeing how happy the boys were for each other! They really got into each other's gifts and it was awesome to have Gavin helping put Ian's toys together this year! It is also truly a highlight of parenting to see them grasp onto family traditions and work hard to continue them. 

I have three sentimental young men and I love that.

Gavin's Christmas wish was a new saxophone, which he actually got in early December. He still got a few surprises on Christmas morning, like some new clothes and shoes he wanted, as well as some books and sax music,with new reeds and a new mouthpiece. 

Merritt got some elements (cobalt and copper!) for his element collection (which probably deserves a blog post all its own). He also was super excited about his monogrammed leather portfolio and his new hatchet (which led to 3 days of wood splitting by Gavin and Merritt). He also got a camera and is enjoying figuring out how to take his own pictures.

Ian is still happily into TOYS! He loves his new legos and new Star Wars micro machines. He also loved all the new books and videos they all received! 

 My decorations are all taken down now except for our beloved Christmas tree. This year's tree felt more perfect than any other year. It isn't even brown yet so it is with heavy hearts that we will be taking it down tomorrow (although the boys cannot wait to get their hatchets out...). But it has been a beautiful backdrop for moments like these this year.

This Christmas left us refreshed, sentimental, and thankful for our little family!