Countdown To Christmas: Week Four {Merry Christmas!}

This week got so busy that I didn't do a great job of taking pictures of our countdown to Christmas activities. But I still wanted to share a little about what we did each day...

Sunday: We made another pinterest inspired ornament. I wanted to get this one in before the year was over. We added a few really cute homemade ornaments to our tree that I suspect will be around for years to come.
Monday: We took a drive to see some Christmas lights. Logan was in pure bliss watching them all, and then fell asleep on the way home after a busy day of Christmas prep.
Tuesday: I had a few of my high school friends that I only see a couple times a year over for an easy dinner and gift swap. Logan had fun helping us open up our presents and my sweet friend even brought a little gift for him.
Wednesday: We started what I hope will become a new Christmas Eve tradition around here. We got into our Christmas pajamas, had hot cocoa and popcorn, and watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas. After the movie, we tucked Logan into bed, and stayed up to watch another Christmas movie while I wrapped presents and stuffed stockings.

I am so grateful for the extra quality time this countdown gave Logan and I this season. For the chance to teach him why we celebrate Christmas, and just have some good fun too. The only thing that we didn't get around to on our list, was decorating Christmas cookies. I was hoping to bake extras for the police and fire department in town. There is always Valentines Day right?!

Now a little about Christmas Day...

Despite how busy the season was this year, when I tucked Logan in on Christmas night I promised myself that I wouldn't forget how special the day had been. That I would find a way to tuck the memory of it all away for a rainy day.

It wasn't any one thing that made the day so special but it was more like everything together, that made me want to replay it again. We kept the day really simple this year. We only did a couple simple gifts for Logan. Dan and I only did stockings for each other. We really took the time to enjoy being together, and had fun playing with a few of the things Logan got as gifts. Logan introduced himself to his new fish (which he named Darth Vader... without ever having seen star wars). He had conversations with Darth for the better part of the morning.

Logan is at that age that he gets so excited about each thing he opens. He plays with it for a good long time before he decides to see what is in the next wrapped package. We went at his pace, enjoying each squeal of excitement, and then watching him fumble with the packaging for a while because he wanted to open them on his own.

We carried on the tradition of a carefully picked out Christmas book to read with him. We also started a new tradition this year. Before Christmas Day, I had never had a real waffle before. I had tried the frozen ones, but that is nothing compared to the real thing, topped with fruit and whipped cream. I hope to make waffles for breakfast a regular Christmas morning tradition too.

I put together a quick slideshow with a couple video clips of our morning, so that I would have it years down the line. I thought it would be fun to post it here as I have not done videos on the blog in a while. I hope you ejoyed a Christmas that was as sweet as our's was!