This Christmas Eve, Sarah was old enough to really appreciate her fancy dress. She loved it and spent about 10 minutes standing in front of the mirror saying "pre-dee!" I also thought she was old enough to go to church with us on Christmas Eve. Grammie, Pa-Pa, Sarah and I all went to the 5:00 service at First Lutheran Church in Mission Hills. (Tom stayed home to make sure the glorious dinner we had planned actually got made!) The church was perfect - small and intimate with candles burning in front of their stained glass windows and a big Christmas tree behind the alter. Sarah, however, was only mostly perfect, and we had to spend some time walking outside in the lobby during the service! We were back in time for "Silent Night," and Sarah only tried to grab the candles a couple of times before settling in and enjoying the moment. Then we were back in the car and headed home to meet up with Tom, Adam and Megan!
Grammie gave Sarah an early Christmas present when we got home - a manger scene for her to play with! She loved pushing the button to hear "Away in a Manger"...or as she called it "Baby Cheez-it's Song."
We had a wonderful dinner which included roast New York strip with a garlic-herb crust, rolls with sea salt and rosemary, creamed spinach and parsnips, corn casserole, garlic mushrooms, and red wine Adam and Megan had brought us from their trip to Italy this fall. Not a bad way to end the evening!
After dinner, we put Sarah to bed and filled what little space we had left in our bellies with coffee, sugar cookies, and snicker doodle cake with cinnamon butter cream frosting. Needless to say, we were done after that!
Christmas morning started around 7:30 at our house. Tom and I enjoyed it, knowing that it will be our last "late start" Christmas for many years! Santa hadn't forgotten us, and Sarah's stocking was very full...
She got some bows for her hair and a pair of maracas...
...and some "peek-a-boo" toys that she and Daddy played with together!
Until she remembered that she had maracas!
Sarah helped Daddy with his stocking while her entourage looked on (she brings Lella and blankey and whatever animal she slept with the night before downstairs every morning).
And then we grabbed a bowl of goldfish crackers and moved into the living room to open the gifts under the tree!
Sarah opened some of her presents...
...and some of Mommy's presents...
...and even some of Daddy's presents!
Then it was back to opening her presents.
And playing the maracas. Again.
Look at this mess!
It's a good thing that Sarah likes to pick things up right now. She put all of the wrapping paper in this big box for us! What a good little helper she is!
We had one more surprise for Sarah - a dress-up closet! I painted the closet in our attic pink and filled it with dress up clothes for her. As it turns out, she really just likes the shoes!
Around 10:00, we headed over to Grammie and Pa-Pa's house for brunch and more presents. Sarah walked in, saw this beauty of a gift, and plopped right down! Hope it was for her!!!
Sarah was also thrilled to receive a giant Dora. She picked it up and said, "Heavy!" We didn't even know she knew that word, but now this doll is referred to as "Heavy Dora" in our house...
Sarah just kept digging! The next present was a huge box of musical instruments. She was excited. (Mom and Dad weren't so thrilled.)
Sarah also got a guitar, an electronic keyboard/drum kit, a Dora book, a Dora See 'n Say, and some puzzles from Grammie and Pa-Pa.
Uncle Adam and Megan gave her a great lion hat and some barn yard animals, but Sarah hit a wall and was super ready for nap so I don't have any photos of those gifts! Sorry guys - she really does love them both!
We went home for a nap, and Sarah surprised us with another gift - her new found ability to climb out of her crib! It was not the Christmas miracle I had been hoping for, but I eventually got her back in her crib for a tiny nap before heading over to my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Barry's house for Christmas with the cousins. Sarah loved playing with Aiden and Gavin!
One last round of presents (she got a super fun tea set, a froggie pull-toy and a Dora book and flashlight!), and the day was done.
What a fun (and busy!) Christmas day!
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