The Koetter's: Christmas: Round 1

So we split up Christmas in several different ways this year. We are still trying to find our balance and our traditions as a family, but it worked this year. I am not sure it is how we will do it next year, it felt a little drawn out, but I guess that's what happens when your family is not all in one place, you want to celebrate with everyone and you have lots of extended family. The weekend before Christmas, (Christmas was on Tuesday this year) we went to Adam's parent's house to celebrate with his family. We headed up Thursday night, so that we could have an extra day and we left to head back home on Sunday. The one tradition that was have agreed on so far is that we will always be in our own home on Christmas Eve to go to sleep, so that Lyla will always wake up in her own home on Christmas day.

While Adam's family always traveled to be with family at Christmas, my family did not travel and it is something I feel very strongly about...staying home and waking up in our house on Christmas morning. I am so blessed with an awesome husband, and he agreed that once we had kids, home is where we would celebrate the actual day. So we will always be home for Christmas, which I am so excited about.

So Thursday after Adam got off of work, we headed up to North Carolina to celebrate with Honey and Pawpaw (Adam's parents), Mawmaw (Adam's grandmother), Jonathan, Kara and Dalton, and David. It was so nice for us all to be together since it does not happen very often. Lyla loved playing with her cousin Dalton. And she loved seeing her Uncles and Aunt and of course her grandparents.

I, of course, did not take enough pictures. I never do.

When we went downstairs for the first time on Friday, we could not believe the explosion of gifts under the tree. Lyla was so excited and was so patient about waiting until it was time to open gifts. We actually ended up waiting until Saturday to have our Christmas morning. Friday we all just hung out and a few of us ran to a furniture store to take a quick look. North Carolina has the BEST furniture at the BEST prices, so Adam and I can never pass up an opportunity to browse. We did not buy anything this trip, but plan on making another trip to look again, especially since we have a credit at Furnitureland South we need to use. Maybe dining room furniture, since ours is currently sitting empty?!

Anyways, we had an amazing brunch on Saturday before heading down to open presents. Unfortunately, at breakfast Adam's grandma did not feel good, so she watched gift opening for a little while, but then headed to bed. Honey was not far behind her and by the time all the gifts were opened, she was headed to bed as well. They both ended up with the stomach bug while we were there and of course everything in me was screaming that we needed to pack up the car and get out of there that day before any of us got it as well. I was out voted, but you better believe Lyla and I were washing our hands after touching anything and we tried to breathe as little as possible ;) I hate getting sick, ESPECIALLY the throw-ups and I really did not want Lyla to get it since she has never been sick in that way before.

David, Adam's brother, and Pawpaw surprised us all and cooked an AMAZING dinner that night for us to enjoy, minus Honey and Mawmaw. Literally they went to bed around lunchtime that day and we did not see them until the next morning. I felt SO incredibly bad for them. Not only did they feel awful, not only did they feel awful at Christmas time, but I think the worst was that they finally had their family all together for Christmas and they were missing it. We were so glad we decided to come up Thursday night so that we had the full day Friday to be with them before they went down for the count.

Sunday morning Steve took all the healthy people out to a nice brunch at this really yummy restaurant. After that we packed up the car, which was no small job. Our Acura MDX was completely full from floor to ceiling, from one side of the car to the other.

Did we make it out in time though?? Stay tuned to see if any of us was over taken by the stomach bug....

Pawpaw doing what he does best, fixing things!

Love Uncle Jonathan's face while looking at Lyla.

Loves her Mawmaw.

Santa Claus must have thought we were really good this year!!

So thankful for amazing in-laws who love us so well.

Lyla and Cousin Dalton

Cousin Love, with a little bit of strangling.

Let's try holding hands instead.

Sweet babies.

Let the gift giving/opening frenzy begin!

"Can I just rip it?"

Dalton's first Christmas!

Uncle David went to Disney World a few months back and brought Lyla and Dalton some fun Mickey Mouse Ears and a Mickey Mouse doll.

"Mick-Me!!!"

Excited about .... a hanger?! and the cute dress that went with it, from Mawmaw.

Fun CD's for the car

A pop up Princess play tent with a tunnel attached from Mawmaw.

Giving Mawmaw her gift from us.

Little helper loves to help open gifts!

New travel bags!

Singing Elmo for Dalton was a hit!

A BARNEY book!!

What's next?

A new sleeping bag from Honey and Pawpaw!!

We have to try it out!

Perfect fit!

A Dollhouse from Honey and Pawpaw!! Cannot wait to play with this!

And Barbies to live in the dollhouse.

She lovingly calls them her babies.

Dalton trying out his new chair.

What a big boy!

Mommy and Daddy also received some very nice gifts! Daddy got some tools for his garage and Mommy got her first sewing machine and lots of things to go with it! We also got a "K" to hang on our front door as well as several beautiful ornaments to hang on our tree and a snow-globe.