our christmas: 2012

We had a big pre-Christmas road trip planned but decided to cancel at the last minute because I have this bug of sorts that just won't go away.  Traveling for the holidays is fun, but sometimes you've just got to stay home.

Some Christmas-y stuff at our house...

 Bob has lights in his room...

and his own little tree with all of his ornaments plus some extras...

My four gifts for Ben: something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read.

Ben's gifts for me: something to look at, something else, and something you got.  Oh, he's a funny one.

I put together a box of fun for Christmas Eve -- new matching jammies for the pups, a game, hot cocoa, the nativity play set Bob only gets to use at church, and the big item: a new camera that Bobby can use -- and brought it out just before sunset and snuck it under the tree.  Bobby could not stop talking about, "How did that big present just appear?"  Three year olds are so very fun.

We baked cookies...

Owie the Elf tried to erase our Christmas Eve family fun checklist...

We had some family over -- James, Nate, Erica, Mom + Tom, Big Gram, Bailey and Cassie for a bit...

Bobby took a LOT of photos (that'll have to be another story)...

This is his photographer JOY face...  That little munchkin is obsessed with "his" new camera.

Bob claims pink is his favorite color, and he was smitten with Bailey's sparkly shoes.  Here he is mid ballerina twirl...

"Thank you, THANK YOU, Uncle James for my new shoes!  They're good.  They're beautiful!"

We watched Elf, we ate and drank and were merry, we played a game maybe, and we set up Christmas for Bob and Owie.  Or should I say, Pupper and Wooden.  (Puppy names declared by Bobby.)

The bottom right is a little dark and blocked, but in front of Pupper's dog house are wrapped dog bowls and bones.

Tiny gifts from Santa Mouse tied with yellow ribbons and tucked into the tree...

Little pups asleep with visions of doggie bones dancing in their heads...

And -- Christmas morning!  When Bob came out and caught sight of everything he said over and over in all different inflections: "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  There's presents!  There's a dog house!  There's presents!  Oh my goodness!"

I'm hoping the bobcam caught this better but here are some moments, like reading the advent calendar...

Owen opening a present for the first time in his life...

Bob couldn't resist helping...

and showing him what was what, and generally just hogging poor Owie's ONE toy.

Some brotherly Christmas lovins...

Then Grandmother came over and we opened even more presents, and had birthday cake for Jesus.

"Hey, Mom, that's too bad Baby Jesus didn't come to our house."

We stopped up at Judy and Bonnie's for a bit.  "Ewica, do you want to come sit on this little bench with me?"  "I like Nate and Ewica.  They are my two friends."

 Then we went out to my Aunt Trisha's for a while.  I didn't really take pictures but we snagged a couple of family photos from Pepere...

And I took a few of these lovelies as well, although I didn't catch a single one without anybody talking...

When we got home we tried having a little candlelight book service under the tree, but some people just wanted to blow out the candles and try to drink them and clink the jars together...

... and so it made for cute photos but ended abruptly, and the pups were put to bed after a long, fun day.

Part two from the bobcam's view to come tomorrow {I hope}.

Merry Christmas, all!