Christmas 2012!

We spent our first Christmas as a family of four at home. There was snow outside, Christmas music playing, a full-sized tree in our living room, and babies sleeping peacefully upstairs in their rooms. After the kids went to bed, Casey and I decorated ornaments together while we waited for Santa. We were originally going to let Emmett make an ornament too, but he was too excited/grumpy to make it past 7pm. We had a rushed nativity re-enactment and threw the monkey into bed.

Handsome little Joseph had a very messy face which we did not bother to clean until after our Christmas re-enactment in order to avoid further melt-downs. Christmas Eve is a very long day for little people.

Our lovely ornaments. It was a fun Christmas activity for Casey and I, made especially enjoyable because Emmett was asleep. That sounds mean, but it's true. Casey and I had a great time. :)

Santa found us in our new house!

Unwrapping presents took extra long because each time we opened a book, Emmett insisted that we stop everything and read it that moment. It's a little known fact that Santa used to be an English teacher and has a tendency to bring LOTS of books, so this took quite a long time.

Bethany loves her new toy! It helps her stand up and look around. She doesn't care that Santa merely took it out of storage, washed it off, and re-gifted it. And Emmett doesn't remember that it used to be his, so everyone is happy.

Emmett had a very profitable Christmas. Here he is holding all of the cars he got from Santa. They're from the movie "Cars II" and he has been playing with them nonstop. They go with him to the bathroom, into the tub, and have to sit in a line looking at him from across the room when he goes to bed (he's not allowed to have them in the bed with him). 

Grandma and Grandpa Gasser got Emmett a space shuttle, airplane, and two NASA trucks for Christmas. Emmett was so excited! We had to open the box immediately after unwrapping it and let him spend several minutes playing before he was ready to move on to the next gift.

Hara and Papa got Emmett a little Thomas the train and track, which Emmett also adores! He drives Thomas over everything, not only the track, and keeps the battery running constantly in spite of how many times we tell him to turn it off when it's not on the track.

All-in-all, we spoiled our kids rotten and had a wonderful time doing it! Merry Christmas!