twas the night before christmas

Holidays are so much fun with kiddos, and Shawn and I concur that this was our favorite Christmas yet. It's a blast to be able to have traditions and to figure out what Christmas will look like for our family. Christmas for us started on Christmas Eve with some hot cocoa, some cookie making, and Pinedale's Christmas Eve service. Last year, Jude slept through the whole thing in his carseat. This year, Jude peered eagerly at the stage, clapped his hands, and had to be taken out a few times because he just had to run.

I thought it'd be fun to take a look at how much Jude's grown in a year:


Mommy and Jude getting all snazzed up before heading out to church.


This was the best picture we could get of Jude on the loveseat next to the tree, since he wouldn't sit still.


Daddy and Jude reading "The Polar Express" right before bed. Once we put him down, Shawn and I watch the movie with a little bit of egg nog and a lot of cuddling. We're looking forward to our kids being older and staying up to watch the movie (complete with nog and cuddles) with us.

And just because I think it's funny:




I'll soon be putting up our Christmas Day pictures, and giving ya'll more details on how things are going with the pregnancy, I promise! I have to admit that I've really enjoyed just chilling out and spending time with my family these past couple of days. Although as Shawn was singing this morning, it's "Back to life....back to reality."