A Very Merry Christmas

Let me start this by saying, we really missed our friends and family this season. It was strange for me not to be super busy with school concerts and playing for a bunch of Christmas services. I missed packing up the car and driving down to Chicago for family Christmas parties and hanging out. I missed seeing the kids so excited to play with their cousins. I missed hanging out with friends. I missed getting a Starbucks at Target and walking around after the kids went to bed shopping for presents!

Despite all of this, I think that we had the most relaxing and most enjoyable Christmas ever. Ken has had the entire week off! We did some fun things with the kids and other families. When we weren't out, we were at home, relaxing, and playing with the kids.

Last Sunday, we went to Europa Park, which is an amusement park in Germany. We found out that even though Ava is terrified of people in costumes, she loves roller coasters - the faster the better! After she went on the biggest one she could go on (she wanted to wait extra to sit in the front row and kept her arms up the entire time), she raced all the way around to get in line again.

Such a happy girl!

Happy Beckett

Daddy allowed the crazy face painting! 

Waving at the light parade.

 On Christmas Eve, I cooked a ham dinner. Now this wasn't a ham that you can buy that is similiar to Honey Baked Ham, where you can just put it in the oven for 30 minutes and you are done! This ham was bought in Germany and after using Google Translate and someone to verify the directions, it needed to be put in boiling water for 90 minutes. I was very skeptical, but it turned out ok.

Cooking our first ham.

My boys

Leaving notes, cookie and milk for Santa. Ava didn't want to forget carrots for each of the reindeer.

Daddy's interpretation of what Beckett would say...

We had the most amazing and relaxing Christmas Day ever! The kids slept in until 8:30! We had a big breakfast, opened presents, stayed in jammies and played all day! Ava was happy that Santa found them in France, although her reaction that morning was "Santa must have stayed at our house a long time because he used the same wrapping paper as Mommy did." Lesson learned for next year!!

Crazy boy! 

Helping Daddy open up his present. This was the first "toy" to be put together!

Christmas night, we were able to celebrate with friends. The kids played, the adults ate and drank. The perfect end to a great day!

These girls have all of Ava's new toys to play with, yet they play with Becketts dinosaurs.

One of these boys really needs a haircut!!

Today we went to Mont Sainte Odile Convent in the mountains. It was much colder and much windier than we had expected, but the view was amazing. 

 Ava was convinced she could see all the way to Michigan up here!

Amazing view!

The girls deep in conversation.

Inside one of the chapels.

We are now looking forward to New Years Eve tomorrow and some more family days before we get back at it again - I love the holidays!