Christmas Eve 2012

Oh the most magical night of the whole year! For me Christmas Eve is even better than Christmas day. It is full of suspense, anticipation, twinkling lights, glowing homes & even warmer hearts. If I could bottle the feelings of this day, I would walk around with a permanent smile on my face. I hope your's was just as joyful and memorable. And I will apologize in advance for the picture overload, but it was Bear's first Christmas & once you see his precious outfit you'll understand why I just couldn't resist.

After naps & a morning full of last minute details (including yet another trip to the doctors), we kicked off the present parade at YiaYia Terry & Papou Yianni's house.

I am completely convinced that I will not get a shot of all 3 of them
looking at the camera and smiling for at least the next 5years.

iPad mini was the big gift this year.

"I like this one Mommy"

All Bear wanted was to play with the ornaments.

Such a little man..uhh to die for!

We then headed over to YiaYia and Bopi's house for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and gift exchange. I took the chance to shoot several more pictures of the kids before drinks & dinner. My parents always set a beautiful table & cook up quite the spread, but this year I was so focused on capturing each second of Bear's first Christmas along with the pure joy of the day for Belle & Peanut that I forgot to snap shots of all the pretties. 

We opened gifts, ate, drank, laughed & loved. As always, it was a beautiful way to pass the night.

When we returned home, the littles wrote letters to Santa:

 Picked out cookies & poured chocolate milk (after some debate, chocolate was the majority winner)

Checked to makes sure Santa's path was all clear

Read The Night Before Christmas

And posed for one last shot before it was off to bed.

It was the perfect way to spend one of the best nights of the year! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Christmas Eve's Eve

Hubby took the kiddos to church (I stayed home with poor sick Bear). I love this picture of them.

We got together with Hubby's side of the family on the 23rd to exchange gifts. Poor Bear had been running 103 temp all day so he wasn't quite himself. Otherwise, it was a lively gathering and the kids were more than excited to get the gift giving underway.

The day started off this church.

We are SOOOOO into silly shots these days.

Then we decorated some more cookies.

Yes, he consumed nearly an entire bottle of sprinkles---yikes!

Engaged in some good old fashioned shenanigans.

And took care of our sick baby:

Finally, we headed out for the gift exchange.

Pandora bracelet from Hubby's aunt & uncle.

Greek School Christmas Pageant

Belle and Peanut started Greek School this year. The are enjoying learning the language and culture and Hubby & I love seeing them master a skill that neither of us have (both of us know minimal Greek). So on Saturday afternoon, we headed to church for their Greek School's Christmas luncheon and show.

YiaYia Terry, papou Yianni, YiaYia and Bopi all joined us for the show.

Bear enjoying lunch

My little reindeer was too cute for words.

Belle (on the left in the red dress) recited a poem verse by heart for the pageant.

Fuzzy iphone pic, but I can't resist a pic with my baby girl.

Gingerbread house & Cookie Baking

Well here comes a storm of posts as I have quite a bit of catching up to do. A nasty sinus infection wiped me out for 2 days and then slowed me down quite a bit, but none the less we had a fabulous end to the Christmas season.

Every year, Hubby and the kids decorate a gingerbread house. The tradition started when Belle was a year and a half and ever year it is more and more fun to see how it becomes more of a kids project and less of Hubby doing the work.

Waiting for the decorating to begin!

Concentration…this is serious business.

Love this picture & the look on Peanut's face

The finished masterpiece

One more for good measure, since the photo above is blurry. And as a note, Bear was napping during the gingerbread decorating.

Later on in the afternoon, YiaYia and Bopi came over to make Christmas cookies. Belle started off making Red Velvet cookies nearly all on her own….I see years of serious baking together in our future:)

The cookie taster. 

It was a fun, festive way to prepare for both the cookie party and Christmas!