Christmas Happenings

I love Christmas and everything about the season. Yes, even the sometimes stressful moments are ones I enjoy. This year we were in Florida for Christmas with my people :) There is nothing sweeter than being with my family. We are loud, crazy, and goofy...and nobody does Christmas like a VanLue Christmas! I love being able to share in the same traditions I had as a kid with Jon and Josh (and Lylah soon!)

Our Sea World passes expire soon so we took a couple family trips there in December. I love Sea World at Christmas time. They really do a great job and it's way less stressful than Disney (although Disney is and always will be my fave) We aren't quite brave enough to take Josh to Disney yet (we want him to understand what it is and be able to remember it) and so far, he has no idea Disney even exists. Josh really loves Sea World and especially took major interest in the whales the last few times we went. We went to a few shows, including and Elmo Christmas, rode the carousel and train, looked at sharks and fish, had ice cream (yes, ice cream in December!) and made some really special memories as a family. We aren't doing passes again this year since we will have a newborn and have some other passes we want to get to other places, but I'm sure we will be back very soon Shamu!

 A few days before Christmas we had a play date with our VanLue cousins. Josh had so much fun! Cade brought out all his cars and planes for Josh to play with, Caroline is the best little mommy, and Josh and Mollie get along and play so well together. Josh asks to go back to their house all the time!

Christmas Eve was a busy day for Jon and me. We have the awesome privilege (and it really is you guys...we love our church!) to play/sing for the 3 Christmas Eve services at Grace Orlando. We started rehearsing around noon and didn't get home until around 8 pm which meant Wubba-man got to stay with Mimi and crew all day. I am SO grateful to my parents and sisters for always being willing to have Wubba tag along. He has so much fun with them and apparently never whines or complains (which he does ALL THE TIME at home). Why is it kids always behave better for other people? We managed in between services to snap this family pic (thanks mom!)

Our last Christmas as a family of 3!

Christmas Eve at Grace

 We have a tradition of sleeping over at my parent's house on Christmas Eve so we are all together on Christmas morning. I absolutely love it! I'm sure we will stop one day once our little family gets bigger but for now it's one of my favorite things and I so look forward to it! Another tradition we have that my mom and dad began when my brother and I were little is opening one gift on Christmas Eve. It's always a new pair of pajamas :) We started this tradition ourselves when Jon and I got married (we still get pajamas for each other) and plan to continue it for our kids as well.

Ready to open!

New monkey pj's!

Christmas morning was a fun blur :) We opened, took a break for breakfast, and then continued opening and opening and opening. There were some super fun surprises for everyone and I loved watching Josh try to figure out what was happening. He didn't quite understand that there was more than one present for him to open at first. He was perfectly happy with the pack of cars he opened first :) Eventually he figured out that everything wrapped in McQueen paper was for him!

Stocking gifts!

He would stop and play with everything after he opened it...especially the cars!

New puzzles!

A new car from Katie!

I love this picture :)

A new "soccer rocker" from Mimi and Gray

McQueen McQueen!!!! 

So many new cars (which he asks to sleep with by the way)

My sweet sisters opening their gifts from us

Fashion and makeup guru

Video games for my hubby :)

My favorite gift from my mama - beautiful blankie for Lylah

A new tablet 

Cars cars cars...all day long

The cousins are here!

My man washing dishes - such a servant!

Trying out the new "just dance" game

Pretty Christmas table! (one of 3!)

I sadly didn't get any pictures once the aunts, uncles, more cousins and grandma arrived because it was such a flurry getting dinner ready and catching up with everyone. But...it was a blast! We had the best time celebrating!

Merry Christmas 2015!