Christmas Morning!

I'm not sure if you know how much I love Christmas...BUT probably just as much as I did when I was like three years old. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

I love the smells, the music, singing, treats, presents, gifting, decorations, shopping, going home, movies etc! However I hate that Christmas morning is soooo short!

My mom made us homemade cinnamon rolls, which by the way are ten thousand times better than Cinnabon or whatever it's called (and I have a tendency to get suckered into those at airports because they smell so freaking good). She also made this breakfast casserole with potatoes, sausage, eggs...etc...Yummy! So the day started out pretty well :)

Adam bringing his load of presents downstairs...despite his face I think he was in a good mood. Haha.

Mom and I

My dad might just like taking pictures more than me...scary I know.

My mom collects Nutcrackers. I love them. This started because I would always have people giving me them when I danced in the Nutcracker so she started collecting, buying, getting as gifts...all kinds. There are a bunch from ballet, a dentist and a boy scout for my dad, a russian one for my grandparents, a drummer for Adam, a little scottish one from my aunt, one that is carrying a baby nutcracker...etc etc. I think there is even one that looks like Santa, and more around the house.

Before presents, Adam insisted on the hunt for the pickle. Have you ever heard of this tradition? We started doing this years ago. Adam always wins because he always pushes us out of the way or cheats somehow...I think Taylor finally won last year...but Adam won again this year. I got an elbow in the face and pushed...lol. The winner gets twenty dollars, so I guess he really needs the money? JK

It is a very old German tradition, where you hide a pickle shaped Christmas ornament somewhere in the Christmas tree. The first to find it gets a special gift (ours is money). There are a couple different versions of the story behind it. But the importance is to savor the time with your family or loved ones and enjoy the beauty of the tree and ornaments while you are looking for the pickle, instead of the presents under the tree. (Obviously Adam doesn't observe that part).

Next...time for presents!

Tay and I

Adam and I's one normal picture together a year...

Justin Beiber's in the making

don't mind all the animal print surrounding me...

angry elf?

Poor, sad Tika snuck into the present room a few days ago and in one sitting ate all 6 of the packaged bones that my mom got for her Christmas present. Somehow this short, tiny dog got up onto the shelf, unwrapped the bones, and literally ate them all within about 20 minutes...so she didn't get a Christmas Present this morning...

Family Photo

my mom made me take my shoes off for this one because she said I was too tall...now I feel like a midget...overall I think it turned out pretty good for our family seeing as someone is usally holding up a bunny ears or sneezing or blinking...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hope yours was as fabulous as mine!

So thankful for my family and that I got to be at home!