Christmas 2011

We were so happy to be able to celebrate Christmas at home again this year, but were even more excited that Grandma and Granddaddy, Lolli and Pop, Aunt Devin and Uncle Tony, and my Aunt Marilyn were all able to be here.  Since Layla and Jenna were the only children involved, we pretty much spent the day catering to their schedule.  Rise and shine comes at about 8am for the girls, so like the good little elves we are, we had everything ready to go for them right off the bat.

The tree all decked out before the girls discovered their loot.

Santa left his gifts in the middle of the living room.  Apparently, Santa didn't pay close attention to the measurements of the play tent he brought.  That sucker took up our whole living room!

Here we go!  "Whoa, sissy!  What's going on out here!"

Layla: "Seriously, people.  Who dropped the house in the middle of the living room?"

Sweet Layla ran straight over to her Santa gifts to check out all the goods.

However, the stash under the tree caught Jenna's attention and off she went.

Jenna: "Hey, this looks to be just about my size!"

Jenna, you can open all that stuff later.  Come see this cool house that Santa brought!

The girls were a little hesitant so Aunt Devin (and her very pregnant belly) crawled in the there to help break the ice.  

That did the trick!  Yes, Jenna crawled through the window. 

Layla: "Hey!  I know these shapes!  They're from my favorite movie!"

Layla just loved the books that Santa left.  

Jenna had her fun in the house and then headed back to the tree.

Jenna: "OMG!  My very own car!"

Of course, it didn't take long before Layla realized the fun Jenna was having.

Jenna: "I look good behind the wheel, don't ya think?"

"These are just like the ones Mommy uses at Target!"

(Don't kid yourself...Jenna tried to crawl into the seat.)

Jenna was just making the rounds with all her new toys, meanwhile, I was successful in getting Layla back to focusing on the Santa gifts.

Layla: "Awesome!  New movies!  I'll just load them right into my shopping cart."

Layla: "A new Elmo cup?!?!?!  This is amazing!"

Layla: "What else is in that stocking?"

Layla: "Sweet!  A new pair of houseboots!"

(Yes, we call them houseboots...mainly because Daddy thinks the way the girls say "boots" is super cute and I would concur.)

Layla: "Ooh, my very own remote control.  Nobody better take this one away from me like they do the other."

Layla: "And a jingle bell!  Just like the ones at Gymboree!  Where in world is sissy?  She sure is missing out!"

Figures.  Jenna is busy getting her grub on with some yummy breakfast casserole.

After she filled her tummy, I was able to lure her over to check out her new houseboots.  

She was certainly digging her Elmo cup and remote control too!

Layla worked hard going through all her Santa gifts.  It was important to stop and get a bite to eat.     

Meanwhile, Jenna was ready to move on to the next meal. 

Getting through the Santa gifts took a good part of the morning.  I'm sure you can imagine how long it took us to get through the rest of the presents.  Layla and Jenna literally opened gifts all day long. When the girls went to bed, I opened 2 more of their boxes and then put 4 more in the closet to save for their birthday.  It was a bit out of control, but so much fun!  I'm a little overwhelmed by all the pictures we have of the gift opening session, so I'm posting just a few here in this slideshow for those who are so inclined to take a peek.    

What an amazing Christmas this was!  The best part was getting to spend the entire day with our family.  We certainly missed seeing our Arkansas kin, but are so thankful for those who were able to make the trip, be it long or short.  We love you all!