Family Christmas Day!

Every year Jonathan and I take the kids to cut down our own Christmas Tree! Usually Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are busy days with family and we wanted to have a day that was just ours and start some family traditions of our own! So we decided to take the first Saturday in Decemeber as our Christmas with the kids. We'll still open all their gifts early Christmas morning before we take off somewhere but this gets to be a fun family day!

We started the morning off with Cinnamon Rolls....you'll see a trend here...we don't "make" much food! :) AFter breakfast we took off for Badger Tree Farm near Martin/Allegan. There were took a wagon ride pulled by horses out to cut our tree!






Here we are on the wagon...all bundled up!




cheese head #1


Cheese head #2



Isaac looking for a tree!



The 4 of us! (baby too!)








Isaac helping dad. I think he thought it would be easier for Jon if he was on his back!


We have our tree!



Next, lunch at McDonalds. The kids told us in the car they didn't need anything to eat since they just had some popcorn at the tree farm...all they needed was to play on the toys! So we agreed. Eventually they came over hungry and we got them some chicken!

Next we headed home and let the kids watch some movies to unwind a little while we got the tree up and lights on it. Soon it was time for them to help with the ornaments. This was hilarious because every time Isaac reached for an ornament he said "Daddy, this one needs a hooker!". What added to the fun was the next day at Grandma Clark's Isaac told Grandma, "Grandma, your hookers are different than our hookers!" We had to chuckle! After all the ornaments were on Isaac got to put the Angel on the tree! Madison had her turn last year...but of course she doesn't remember.....

After the tree was up we took some time to read the Christmas story as we put our manger out. The kids are really starting to remember parts of the story and can actually answer our questions about it pretty good. This is fun for us to see how much more they pick up year to year!



Soon we ordered and at pizza. The kids flew through this part because they knew the presents were next! So we gave them each their one present we had picked out for today. A fun memory was Isaac this morning....he woke up first (as usual) and headed downstairs to find a show to watch...Jonathan and I heard him and watched him as he got to the living room. He stopped dead cold in his tracks as soon as he saw a present. He stood there for about 5 mins looking at trying to decide what to do. He did finally decide to go turn on the TV. We were both amazed at his restraint! So they had seen these very early in the day and waited patiently till after dinner.







You might notice what Madi is holding....we decided to mix up the toys and have Madi open Isaac's toy and Isaac open hers.....she couldn't figure out why we'd get her a Batman figurine....then she saw Isaac open a Barbie and was really not getting it....then she realized we were "fooling her" and they switched. We also got them some special Christmas Jammie's!



So they put there Jammies on but were not in the mood for anymore pictures...they found it hilarious to stick out there bums at me!


Eventually they smiled for some nicer photos!








Here we are making Christmas Cookie Cut-Outs!




And finally here is the house all decorated from the outside...not the best picture...but you all saw the nice weather we were having....I didn't want to be outside too long!!

Kelly