Christmas 2014

I know, I know, a month late and well into the New Year, but here it goes...Christmas was wonderful, per usual. We did an early Christmas in Austin so the boys could open up their gifts from Santa before heading out to celebrate Christmas day in El Paso.

We started off 'Austin Christmas' at Mozart's coffee shop where they had an incredible light show set to Christmas music. The boys were floored and had most definitely never seen anything like it...

This year Jackson (and James!) wanted to leave Santa a note and some cookies for him to eat, so we prepped, drew, baked and were ready for bed by 7:30 on the money so as 'not to disrupt Santa's timing'...

Don't mind the cookies. Baking is NOT my forte, I can cook absolutely anything, but I can't bake to save my life. Thankfully the cookies weren't the prettiest, but WERE pretty delicious! (Santa told me :)). Also, in case you didn't know we aren't your typical family--we make bat and dinosaur cookies for Santa because he most likely gets bored seeing candy canes and Christmas trees at other people's homes. This is what we like to tell ourselves...

The calm before the storm...

The next morning we checked, and Santa had written Jackson and James back! AND ate soooo many cookies that his tummy really hurt the next morning ;). 

 Jackson woke up first and was ECSTATIC to see the AMAZING tent that Grammy and Pops had given him and James. He LOVED that his presents were inside of it. Soon after James woke up and was equally surprised by all the new toys....

 Even Chaucer got in on the action! 

 The following day we were up and at it and ready to take off to El Paso! 

 Once there we enjoyed the splendor that is Gigi and Abuelo's house and relaxed until Christmas...

 Growing up we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and leave Christmas day for present opening and detoxing. Christmas Eve was nice and relaxing. We enjoyed some pre dinner drinking and story time by the fire and feasted on my mom's delicious dinner afterwards...

 Right before bedtime and awaiting Santa's 2nd arrival! 

 Christmas morning included opening a million gifts, breakfast and more story time :)...

 The remainder of the day was spent relaxing and taking it easy. Enjoying the gifts we received, each other's company and lots of coffee.

Later that day Jack and I decided it would be fun to take Jackson skiing this season so he could brush up on his skills. We drove up to Ruidoso that night and skied the following day for a few hours before it was too cold to even bare.

We left poor James behind because he was a bit under the weather and is too little for skiing anyways. While Jackson was so sad to leave his brother (and we were too) he quickly got over it and realized that a trip all to himself was actually kind of a good thing...

I'm happy to say that Jackson did SO WELL on the slopes. He had an instructor for the majority of the time there and was excited that he got to go on a chair lift AND ski all by himself. It was pretty amazing...

 Christmas break this year was pretty incredible. Again, so blessed to have two wonderful little boys that are the sunshine in our lives and so many people that love them and us. Here's to the road ahead and an epic 2015!