Christmas festivities

Greg's box of ammunition for Christmas---what was I thinking??

Emerson using her new camera to capture Christmas morning

Daddy's day of the week mustach stocking stuffer~

Elliot's brief participation during Christmas morning--he napped during most of our gift opening.

Daddy wearing Emerson's new headbands

Emerson on Christmas morning
What you don't see were the tears that preceded this photo. My best memory of Christmas morning as a little girl was laying there at my grandparents house in our sleeping bags with my sister hearing my grandpa start a fire and my mom/grandmother make coffee. We weren't allowed to get up until they came to get us. Then we were walked across the hall to the bathroom with our eyes covered to brush our teeth etc. Every year my parents got the best pictures of our expressions as we entered the living room to see the amazing pile of gifts Santa brought.
So this Christmas it was our first Christmas in our own home in over a decade. If I wasn't just getting off work and going to bed we are in Portland. So I was very excited to create that memory for Emerson! Greg and I had her wait on the stairs to get the cameras ready....bad idea!!! She immediately started crying and when we told her she could come down she ran into the living room and laid on the floor crying. This picture was after she got up, ran away and came back in again. Not what I had in mind...but certainly a memory I will treasure.

Christmas Eve after we opened our new jammies!

Decorating gingerbread houses with Nana

Christmas with Rachel & Lilly---her princess Snuggie and pillow

Gramma's Christmas card photo...with all her grandkids

Posing with the Cinnamon bear at mom/momer's place. When I was little every Christmas we would visit Meier & Frank in Portland and sit on Cinnamon bear in addition to Santa. He would give you the most yummy cookies instead of a candy cane. Canfield place where mom and momer live have purchased the now retired Cinnamon bear costume. Emerson wasn't so keen on sitting on his lap but did give him "hookem' horns".....Uncle Travis has rubbed off on her!!

Our family's best Christmas gift this year....baby Tucker James Fox. Born December 9th. Big BOY!!!

The Bellevue Festival of lights and the botanical garden with Rachel & Lilly

Lunch at Swanson's nursery with Nana. Ever see a camel chase a miniature donkey? This was very cute and Emerson loved it. Another tradition we must do every year.

We received the "Elf on the Shelf" from Aunt Deb & Uncle Gary. If you have kids and don't own one it is a MUST!! Emerson named our elf "Teeka" and he would fly every night to visit Santa to tell him if Emerson was being good or not. You can talk to your elf but you can't touch. And every morning Teeka would be somewhere different in the house. Emerson LOVED finding him every morning and she would talk to him all the time. "Teeka, I want cereal and a bar for breakfast---I want a lollipop and a girl for Christmas---I'm wearing a dress and my dancing shoes". It went on and on and if she wasn't being good you could remind her that Teeka was always watching. My biggest disappointment is that Teeka is now living with Santa until next Christmas. I MISS HIM!! The elf on the shelf works!!! It really works!!!