We had a beautiful, sunny, 80 degree Christmas Eve here in Hampton Roads this year.
It was strange, not at all Christmasy, but kind of fun. :)
Reaghan wore some festive pants in the morning until we got dressed to go.
We went over to Mark's parent's house, as per our usual Christmas Eve tradition, and this is what the first part of our afternoon looked like - swinging in the hammock in the sun and playing with the cozy coupe.
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
These little girls were given so much that we had to open gifts in phases...
Mark and I have already agreed that we should set some limits for next year. ; )
After dinner we got the girls dressed in their dresses {sans the tights because it was 80 degrees!} and took some pictures of them in front of the tree.
I was so sad that we didn't take a family picture that night!
The girls got a little gas station to fill their cozy coupe up that will stay at BB and Tom Tom's.
They loved it!
They had fun helping each other open gifts.
Brooklyn was more in to the unwrapping then Reaghan was. She had to be convinced to start ripping at the paper. She also didn't understand why once she opened something, she was being asked to stop playing with it after only a few minutes to open up something else.
We are so grateful for all of the awesome, thoughtful gifts that we were given and that Reaghan received from the Poindexters! She loves all of them. She got new shoes, clothes, bath toys, wooden sound puzzles, books, a hand made bookshelf from her TomTom, play food to go with her kitchen set that she got Christmas morning and much more.
Overall these sweet girls were in great spirits the whole time and so much fun to give gifts to! {even though Reaghan slept for only 20 minutes that afternoon!}. We did something new this year where we sorted the gifts in to piles of each gift giver so we could focus more on giving and less on receiving. {unlike years past where we made piles of gifts for each receiver - does that make sense?} It was fun and the girls loved to help hand out the presents.
Reaghan and Brooklyn did struggle with the gift opening towards the end of the night just because there was a bit too much to open between gifts from aunt, uncles and grandparents. We didn't set out to give too much, but it definitely happened. And we don't really want it to happen again. Our parents always made Christmas "the best Christmas ever" without over doing it, for both Mark and I growing up and we don't mind showering our kids with gifts on Christmas - but there has to be a balance. We are going to keep this mind for next year and come up with a plan so that we can have time to open gifts and then have time to enjoy those gifts and let the kids play before the night is over. Especially since we'll be adding more kids, Lord willing, as the years go on.
You live and learn.
We gave the girls baths together at the end of the night and finished the time off with Mark reading them the Story of Christmas. It was a great way to end the night.
{We also changed them out of those fleece Christmas PJ's when we got home because, well, it was still 80 degrees outside!}
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