Christmas Eve 2009

Reading "The Night Before Christmas" before nap Setting out cookies for Santa

Everything's ready for Santa to come!

Tracking Santa on NORAD's website

Before Santa got there

After

Santa came!!!

This year Christmas Eve started off a little weird, we had an ice storm and lost our power at about 7am. By 9am it still wasn't on so we headed out to have breakfast. Emma got to have her favorite breakfast meal, bacon. We ordered her a plate of bacon and she was a happy little camper. We ran a few last minute errands and then headed home expecting the power to be back on, nope not yet. They told us then that it wouldn't be back on until 4pm! It did finally come on at 130pm, in just enough time for me to take a shower before work. It was Emma's naptime, so I read her "The Night Before Christmas" since I wouldn't be home at bedtime to read it to her because I had to work. I also gave Andrew strict instructions to take lots of pictures and videos of her putting out cookies for Santa. He did a great job capturing everything for me. Andrew and Emma wrote a very nice letter for Santa and Emma picked out some really good cookies to give him. Andrew asked if she wanted to give him milk and she said no that he wanted water. Too cute!

A Very Brown Christmas

Ready for dinner!Skyping with Gia and Granpa Al, they were ALL over the place!
Playing dress up with Emma's presents

Opening gifts

Payton was pretty excited about this game

Decorating cookies

Reading "The Night Before Christmas", a family tradition

The Brown's came over to our house for an early Christmas celebration. I was going to make a stuffed beef tenderloin, until I found out the meat was going to cost $50! I had to do a quick change to the menu and did a pork tenderloin instead. It was delicious and super easy to make, I think it might even become a Christmas tradition. Since my parents couldn't be here for the celebration we decided to Skype with them. The kids were bouncing off the walls because they were so excited and it was almost like they were here. After we ate dinner we decorated some sugar cookies (yummy) and then opened presents. Emma got a whole bunch of costumes and a DVD about letters. Then it was time for bed and I read everyone "The Night Before Christmas", which is the same book my mom read to us when we were kids.