Midwest Mama: Recap -- Christmas 2013!

How did Christmas come and go so FAST????

Technically there were only like 33 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve this year...which apparently is less than usual? I'm going to say that's why it went so fast!

We also were in New York for Thanksgiving with the hubby's family so we didn't get back home until I think December 3rd. And then of course, I came down with a nasty stomach bug and well...with not much time left until Christmas {or should I say weekends} we had to go get our Christmas tree while I was sick.

Yep. I sat in the car with a puke bucket while the hubby went and got us a tree! Isn't he the best!?

You're probably wondering...

"why didn't they just get a pre cut tree from the boy scouts or something??"

Well, for the past 3 Christmases {all of the ones hubby and I have been together for} we have had a tradition of cutting down our own tree at Hampton Hills Tree Farm and we didn't want to break the tradition...especially for Christian's FIRST Christmas! Not that he is going to remember any way...ha ha

Once we had our tree {and when I was finally feeling better} we decided we needed to get Christian to see Santa Clause! He needed to tell him that he wanted a crawl around car for Christmas :)

With the lines to see Santa at the mall about 3 miles long and the cost for a single picture way over priced...we got creative! Well, actually the Minnesota Transportation Museum got creative! You paid the general admittance fee and then got a to explore the train museum {which will be super cool as Christian gets older} and also got to go on a train ride, have hot chocolate and cookies, and see Santa! You could take your own picture or pay $5 to have them take one for you! Honestly, our pictures probably turned out better than the one we bought, but you can't beat $5 even for the option to see Santa! All in all we probably paid just as much as we would have for a fancy mall picture, but had basically no waiting line and got a train ride and some fun at the museum! Can't wait to do this again with Christian next year!

And so the double pictures begin...one with daddy and one with mommy!

Christian was SO intrigued by Santa! Selfishly I was hoping to get a screaming baby picture...But these are pretty great too!

This year we spent Christmas with my family in Wisconsin. We drove over on the Saturday before Christmas and stayed through Christmas day. Since Christian was extra spoiled, we got a head start on opening presents as soon as we arrived! We can't wait for the warmer weather to start using this fun new sled!!

We did give it a test ride with a walk through Irvine Park near my home town to see the Christmas lights. Christian loved it! And the lights :)

On Sunday we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family and Christian got to play with his 2nd? cousins! I think they're his 2nd cousins...my cousin's boys :)

Props to baby photographers I tell ya! I could not get both of these guys smiling and looking at me at the same time!

Logan (9 or 10ish months) and Christian (almost 7 months) had tons of fun playing together, though!

And Christian enjoyed hanging out with his Great Grandma Charlotte too.

Christian and Grandpa Ron

My cousin also got a super fancy schmancy camera for Christmas from her hubby and she was trying it out...Check out the fun pics she got for us!

Christian also LOVED opening all of his presents at Grandma Jill's house! We kept doing a few every day! By the time Christmas day rolled around he was a pro!

It was so fun watching him rip the paper off!

All dressed up for Christmas Eve church

Opening a few more presents on Christmas Eve before heading to bed

Hanging out with Great Grandma Greta

And Grandma Jill on Christmas day

We drove back to Minnesota on Christmas day so that we could celebrate Christmas as our little family too! Christian was so excited to find that Santa had brought him a crawl around car like he had asked!