A multitude of Christmas Pictures

We spent Christmas this year in Indianapolis celebrating with both of our families.  Amazingly, in the last six years that David has been in residency or fellowship, he has never had to work Christmas.  He has always requested it off and his request has always been granted.  There was that one year though that I had to work Christmas day for my job, and David moonlighted (worked overnight by choice for holiday $$) Christmas since I was working anyway. But still, very impressive that he has managed to escape that dreaded hospital shift.  This year I also had Christmas and Christmas Eve off, so we were able to spend several days visiting.

Pictures from Christmas Eve at my parents house:
Growing up, the only present we as kids were allowed to open on Christmas eve was a book from my mom.  The tradition continues as the kids open their books from Grandma.

Christmas morning, the kids opened their gifts from Santa.  Will was a little disappointed at first because, although he had asked for a Doc McStuffins puppy toy a month before Christmas, a few days before Christmas he had changed his mind and wanted a Hatchimal instead.  I guess Santa's elves can't accommodate all last minute requests... However, he got over it and did enjoy playing with his puppy.

Sad Will

But now he's starting to warm to the toy

Jolly Christmas Baby

After Santa presents, we met up with David's family at St. John's downtown for mass Christmas morning.  I need to snag David's phone and get some of our family pictures from it.  Those are the only ones we have as a whole family!  After mass it was off to the homestead to open presents with the Bonds. The kids got so many toys and really enjoyed themselves!

That time I let Eliana and William excavate dinosaur eggs in the living room, putting tons of dust in the air! Not a great indoor toy...

We spent the night at my parents' house Christmas night, and the kids got to open their last presents from my mom and dad before bed.  Will got a Hatchimal, and Eliana got twin Hatchimals! Santa's elves couldn't do it, but Grandma could. Christmas was complete! (These were really popular last Christmas and impossible to find in the stores. Luckily my kids are a year behind what's popular.) While Laney did not get her own Hatchimal, she was quite enamored with her siblings' toys.  The Hatchimal's eyes glow red when they are mad, and they sing when they are happy.  We were cracking up because whenever Will was playing with his, its eyes were red.  But when Laney would get a hold of his Hatchimal, its eyes would light up blue and it would start singing - a sign that it was happy and well taken care of!  Turns out Laney makes a better parent than Will.

The Hathimal starts out as an egg.  You have to care for the egg to get it to hatch.

Twenty minutes later, you have a little animal to care for that moves, talks, and lights up!

Everyone with a Hatchimal

Ignore us blurry folk in the background. I just love Will's face in this picture.

Laney loves her new "baby."

Will wanted to show his Hatchimal his other presents from Christmas.

This is how Laney feels when her sister takes her Hatchimal back.

We had a wonderful day celebrating with family.  My heart was full.