Christmas Day 2014

Our Christmas morning began like most every one else that has small children- with the anticipation of opening gifts.  The boys slept until 6:30 and 6:45 so we got a much later start than expected (and believe me these tired parents were thankful for it, ha). 

Here they are entering the living room and seeing all of their gifts.  I just love those big smiles!

They wasted no time getting busy opening gifts.  I put Ben's on one side of the tree and Cruz's on the other.  We did our best to make them open one at a time and take turns doing it.

They both got construction worker vests, new tool boxes, and some new tools.

They both got a Ninja Turtle mask even though they really have no idea who the Ninja Turtles are.

Cruz loves his new walkie talkies!

He also loves this new police kit.

Ben has enjoyed his new fire station play set.

And this is what they have pretty much been doing ever since Christmas morning- playing hard!

Our Christmas morning breakfast was these cinnamon rolls shaped like a Christmas tree.  We also had scrambled eggs that I used for the star.

While the boys played I got busy preparing our Christmas lunch.  I had already done most of the prep work so I just needed to get it all mixed up and in the oven.

Our Christmas Day meal- turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, jello, cake, and sweet tea.  It was delicious!

Eating lunch on Christmas Day.

Our table has four chairs and a bench.  Unless we have company we keep the bench side pushed up against the wall to allow extra space.  Cruz asks often if he can sit there but I never pull out the table and allow him to do it.  I thought it would be a fun Christmas surprise to pull the table out and allow the boys to sit like "big kids".  They LOVED it and thought it was a fun Christmas treat.

They have spent a lot of time swinging from these new handles.

One of Cruz's favorite gifts was a rope, pulley, and large metal clip.  David hung it from the upstairs railing and Cruz has had the best time hooking things up to it and pulling them into the air.  Here he is tying up his new tool box.

He thought he was "super strong" because he could pull his car up.  David clipped that 5 gallon bucket and Cruz climbed inside to let his daddy pull him up and down.   They laughed and I braced for a head injury/ trip to the E.R. for stitches, ha.  Cruz tried to talk Ben into sitting in the car and letting him pull him up but Ben wanted no part of it (thankfully!). 

Pulling his chair with his new pulley.

Here's a short video of them playing.

Here's Ben playing with the remote control car.

That evening we all watched "Elf" again.  It's one of our favorite Christmas movies.  Here's a view of our living room floor that night with many of their new toys lined around it.  Our house is a mess but it's been a blast making it.  Christmas with little ones is so much fun!  And even though we missed getting to spend ours with our families this year we made some wonderful memories in spite of it.