Oh Christmas Tree...

What a Christmas we have had! Jax of course made out like a bandit, and I will now be going through all his old toys and putting them away for donations and Liam... I can honestly say it looks like a toy store blew up in our house! ;)

It was such an amazing experience to share with Jax waking up on Christmas morning. Of course we had to wake him up due to our travel plans, and based on what time we needed to leave our house... but after he saw what Santa brought, he was quite excited! The weeks leading up to Christmas were so special. Jax "kinda" understood the meaning of Christmas, but of course focused on Santa, and HO-HO-HO. Every picture he saw of Santa was followed with "Merrrrrry Christmas, Ho-Ho-Ho!" I am already looking forward to next year with him having even more of an understanding, and being so excited about being a "good boy".

Dean and I were very excited to help Santa out, and make sure everything went according to plans! We helped with stockings, and setting the tree up "just right". We have had a lot of decisions to make as far as how we are going to do things, but I think over the years we will get a true idea of how our family will do it. We left Santa's presents unwrapped and fully assembled for Jax to see when he came down the stairs. Ha, something that would have NEVER worked with me. Jax received the "Little Wheelies Stand Rampway", and booooy did he know what the was! Once he set eyes on it, it was hard to get him to focus on ANYTHING else. He just looked at it all ready to play with and said, "Oooh, yook! Carrrrs!" ;D After we finally got him to understand the rip and open concept, he enjoyed getting to the next present, only to be hung up on what THAT one was, and it being pried away for the next. He literally got so many cool things, and that was just from Santa, Dean and I, and my immediate family...

After we were done with our tree, we needed to get all of us ready to head to Nashville for the rest of the day. So we piled up all the take-able toys, and headed out to Shelbyville, TN where Dean's Granny and Grand Daddy live. We only spent a few hours there, but had fun exchanging gifts. We even got to meet the newest edition, Kensey Stallings. Although our visit with that side of the family was short, we enjoyed seeing all of our family. After we left there, we were on our way to Lynchburg, TN for Harrell's side of the family's annual Christmas Auction. We hadn't seen this side of the family in waaaay too long. We usually alternate Christmas years of being in WA, State or in TN - and so the TN years, we usually jump around to several houses and celebrate with them. The Auction I must say is the most fun! It's a good way to sit around, catch up with friends and family, and exchange junk! Haha. This year we were good, and walked away with only things we "bought" (play money is handed out prior to the auction). Sara and Al weren't so lucky, and all that was auctioned off and bought somehow all ended up in their car lol...

Once we were done there, Dean, Jax and I decided to stop in at our friends Michael and Annette's to visit with them. We had a good time with their family. Jax got to see his best friend Easton - and we had a good conversation that didn't relvolve around diapers and Sesame Street!

It ended up being a late and loooong Christmas Day - but all in all it was wonderful.

With the snow Nashville received, our church plans were unfortunately cancelled - so we missed getting to see our family at Faith... We are planning a trip back in the next few weeks, and hope we can get to see them all then. We did meet up with MeMaw and PawPaw at Cracker Barrel before we all headed home. That was a lot of fun, and we exchanged even MORE gifts. We are so lucky to be having another little boy here shortly to share all the amazing gifts, books, toys and clothes that Jax has received over the last 2 years as the only grandchild, and only boy great-grandson! I definitely have my work cut out for me in the next few weeks to get all the outgrown toys packed up and stored away!!

We were glad to have had a safe trip back home. We had some pretty bad weather to welcome us home, and thankfully we were able to make it up the hill once we did get home! Now we just have to pack up all the Christmas decorations. Take the tree down (it’s still so alive and pretty though…), rearrange the house back to pre-Christmas state and count down to the New Year!! I am already looking forward to our next Christmas, when we have two beautiful little boys to share it with…

Hope everyone had an amazing Holiday Season as well! We wish you all Health, Love, and Happiness.

Xoxo
Shylah