We had a very merry Christmas.  We spent the week prior decorating gingerbread houses, listening to Christmas music, and admiring our door of holiday cards.

Christmas Eve, we started with our annual pictures by the tree. My serious loving Emerson!

My sweet do your own thing Avery….

And my loving crazy goofball.  

Trying to get all three looking and smiling at the camera for the same picture has proven to be a continued challenge over the years…at least it makes for some good laughs.

Pics with Larissa…

Love this picture – this little goofball has continued making my heart happy and smile since she came along five years ago!

Pictures with awesome and handsome Daddy.

Mommy with handsome hubby!  Not too shabby for almost 40 year olds!

Our happy little awesome family.

Our happy little awesome family plus one!

Seriously, why can’t we all stay still and smile for the camera?  At least it makes for some good pictures!  Nice height Ave!

At church, Harper brought true meaning to the song “Silent Night”.

We went to PF Changs for dinner – our fourth year in a row of the tradition.  Food was delicious, service not so great.  Without really even complaining, we got 25% of the check and a $25 gift card.  They made it right in the end…so whether PF Changs or another restaurant will be our go to for next year, is still up in the air.

I totally bought Christmas jammies for the whole family this year.  Me and the hubs!

The girls…

Pics with Mila, who joined us by the way at PF Changs.

Hope that toe taste nice Eme!

The five of us in our jammies…

The girls placed their letters for Santa along with a note about who has been on the nice list.  And of course cookies for Santa, which the girls baked that afternoon with Larissa; carrots and reindeer food, which Harper made at school.

Christmas morning, the girls patiently waiting to go downstairs. Harper had gotten sick that night after she went to bed and despite two rounds of throwing up and diarrhea, she rallied Christmas morning.

Santa was good to all of and left a few things in our stockings that made us laugh and be joyful.

More pictures with props that Larissa had brought home from her Brazilian Christmas Eve celebration the night prior.

And finally after several hours of opening Santa presents and several pots of coffee, it was breakfast time.  The menu included a sausage, pepper, kale, and mushroom strata, bacon, fruit, and orange citrus scones.  All were delicious!

More present opening after breakfast…this time gifts to each other.

Harper gave Mila some socks that said “John Lemon” and had a picture of John Lennon as a lemon head.  Mila taught Harper the names of all The Beatles several years ago…she would pronounce John Lennon “John Lemon” so when I walked past these socks in Bed Bath Beyond, I knew they would steal the show.

The girls got coupons for a day in D.C. and a movie theatre day.  We went to D.C Thursday and spent time at The Museum of American History followed by dinner at Dogfish Head Alehouse in Falls Church.  Friday we went to see The Return of Mary Poppins. We brought home pizza instead of eating out as I was starting to get achy and could feel myself coming down with the virus that had plagued the entire household the week prior.

The girls did not buy each other presents so we came up with this gift that they could chose to sign if they were ready to make the pledge.  They all took some time to think about it and within several hours, all three had made the pledge.   They took it seriously and have really overall been getting along really nicely with one another the past few weeks.  

Later in the day, Papa and Grandma came over for Christmas dinner.

More important than the presents around the tree are the people around the tree!  We had a merry Christmas and feel so blessed.