Christmas Wrap Up

~Christmas Eve~
I wasn't so sure about Christmas this year and how my usual cheerful spirit would weather the storm of R being deployed, but it turned out! We celebrated our Christmas on Christmas Eve because of the time difference in Afghanistan and when R could meet us over Skype. Which turned out awesome! We actually got to spend 3 hours with him just watching SugarCube babble as she opened gifts, and naturally do what most kids, this age, do. Ignore the toy and play with the the box, ha! But she had a ball with all her adoring fans cooing and ooing over her ANY interaction. I swear. She lifted a finger and we all went "AWWWE!" It was great. My favorite and most cherished moment though, was when SugarCube connected with the fact that her daddy was inside the computer.

 Half way into opening gifts, she started babbling and caressing his face for a GOOD 10 minutes while trying to find "daddy" behind the computer screen. She'd push the laptop down to see behind it and was throughly confused when daddy wasn't there, lol.  It was the sweetest display of affection we've seen yet and totally made my Christmas Eve morning! We sealed our amazing day with the traditional pot of chili and corn bread, dressed in our jammies and watched movies until it was time to say goodnight. 

~Christmas day~

After such an amazing time with R, the next day was Christmas. I dressed SugarCube in her sunday best and of course took many pictures of her lil' puddin'face. You know I have to document this year in true mommy fashion with a bajillion photos ;)  And I also just HAD to capture these zebra print shoes on film, no? Aren't they the CUTEST! And that rocking horse--- ADORB! 

Unlike true mommy fashion, I'll go ahead and tell on myself and say that I was a bad mommy this year. I didn't go all out with baking cookies for Santa, buying elf on a shelf or even taking Alyssa to see Santa her first Christmas. I just feel like a lot of that's wasted on such early years. But I am rethinking Alyssa's absent Santa pictures, after the fact...I didn't want to deal with the large lines at the mall, only to pay for a picture where my daughter is frightened out of her skull and screaming her head off, but now I'm thinking she might feel jilted later on... The awful baby screaming on Santa's lap pics are kinda tradition in most homes....  

~Baby Loot~

After opening our gifts on Christmas eve (SugarCube and Mommy was spoiled)  Christmas morning we played with them! Well, not in these pics but you get the idea. 

Baby girl got some pretty sweet books including one of her favorites, Mickey Mouse! It came with a Mickey shaped radio and 20 different songs to sing along with. That's been a hit since day one! Your first radio, awe... Daddy insisted you needed blocks for when he returned, so he bought you a heaping amount of tender years blocks which are super soft and actually float so you can take them into the bath! You also got a few puzzles, a neat twisty ball that rattles and rolls and your super intrigued by the elephant shape sorter that was in the gift pile. Your Mickey Mouse phone was a big hit too, as well as your plush Mickey. Can you tell you're into Mickey this year ;) Mommy thinks your first birthday might have something to do with that silly little Mouse...  

My favorite toy from your stash, is by far, the handmade wooden rocking horse Grampa "G" made, however you're still making friends with it and not quite sure what's expected. We're working on that. Maybe once mommy paints the face, stirrups and saddle you'll connect with it more but if you could talk, I know you'd say your favorite toy was DEFINITELY the one your Great Grampa brought over. A Minnie Mouse bean bag!!! By Christmas evening, you had me launching your cute baby buns over it while you squealed with delight. It was so cute and has made me giggle until my sides hurt :)

~Mommy Loot~

I didn't get any pictures of my Christmas stash but it was good! I got a nice pair of VS pajamas,  my 13" MacBook Pro (YEAH YEAH) a BEAUTIFUL jewelry box, a Diamond Back climbing harness, carabiner and GriGri belay device (climbing shoes and chalk bag to come) a boat load of good thick running socks and cozy socks, a stocking full of goodies, a $50 visa card and an SLR Nikon D3100 camera!!! Holy moly that sounds like a lot when I write it all down. I couldn't be more excited for my new toys!!! I've already used the climbing gear twice since Christmas! This is one of the BEAUTIFUL spots we climbed. 

I wasn't able to get any pics of me on the rock but it wouldn't have been that impressive anyway seeing as I bailed 1/4 the way up each time, lol! Lets just say I've got a lot of improving to do (outside) but super excited to put in the work! 

  

I'm still in love with my shiny laptop which allows me to throughly enjoying the blogging experience and now I have this awesome new camera to correlate! It couldn't have come at a better time because I have some fabulous aquarium, zoo and first birthday bash events planned, which will be in need of good pictures! 

~And what before my eyes did appear... But a slobbery baby with tiny reindeer ears~

Christmas Jammie Cuteness! 

Can you tell I just loved SugarCube in her Christmas jammies ;) The second to last one here just cracks me up. She was actually laughing.

We wrapped up Christmas evening, relaxing over peace and quiet and a simple meal of ham, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls. I have to thank my mother in-law for that because I was so pooped by the end, I wasn't ANY help in the kitchen. Thanks again Mama "G!" I don't think I could've asked for a better Christmas, with the hubby being deployed but here's to a repeat next year, only with daddy sitting NEXT to us! And for the record, that's all the gift I'll need ♥

~What was your one exciting gift this Christmas?~