Merry Christmas!

What a lovely Christmas we enjoyed this year. We had a pretty busy Christmas Eve. I had to teach my class, we had to make trips to Costco and HEB (madness!!), and Aaron decided we should make massive amounts of sugar cookies for our neighbors. So after we finished all that business we turned Polar Express on in the car and were off to deliver some secret Santa gifts. We let Carson go and knock and run this year for the first time. He thought it was very exciting and no one saw us, we made smooth getaways. 

After we got home we made our fancy meal. Aaron made steak and roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was all super delicious. Carson was in charge of the special drink and we got to use the fancy plates. After dinner we did ginger bread houses.

Minion ginger bread houses. :) 

Cutest family ever. 

Then it was nativity time and off to bed so Santa's elves could get all ready. 

Then all too soon it was Christmas morning and the kids were ready to go downstairs.

The kids were happy to each get bikes from Santa and our best gift of all was in our stockings.... a trip to Costa Rica!! We are beyond excited. We leave the end of January and are counting down the days. The opening of presents went by quickly as there were only a few things to open but our kids were happy and we just played around the house. 

Then we went to spend the morning at the Peterson's house to ride bikes in their culdesac and hang out. 

Then that night we got a hotel for our family. Our children's favorite thing to do is stay in a hotel and eat a big breakfast so they were stoked. We swam in the pool briefly (it was cold) and hung out but then it was dinner time. 

All dressed up:

Eating out on Christmas night turned out to be kinda depressing. Nothing was open and we finally stumbled on a Joe's Crab Shack. We were beyond starving by this point and the kids were thrilled with it. 

Then we read the Princess in Black and separated into a girl's bed and a boy's bed per Carson's request. 

The next day we got up and had our big breakfast and then we took the kids to the downtown gym so Aaron and I could run on the trail together. It was a fun way to end our Christmas. 

We had a great time but we were oh so happy to go home, finally finish unpacking from both our trips, and be home in our beds. Christmas is fabulous but also exhausting. :)