Merry Christmas

Ian was up bright and early at 5:30 on Christmas morning. He was filled with absolute joy all day long. This was the best Christmas yet with him. :)

Once the bike helmet got put on, it stayed on all morning long. :)

Eating Santa's leftover cookies.Ready to kick his new soccer ball.It amazes me how quickly the living room is overtaken by wrapping paper on Christmas morning!

Helping Granddad build the fire pit. Since Granddad needed his reading glasses for this project, Ian had to have his sunglasses on "just like Granddad."Huge excitement over new coloring books and markers. I love how the simple things make him so happy.

Ian assisted everyone in opening their presents. :)Uncle always finds a unique stuffed animal for Ian. This year it was a bat, and Ian was thrilled!Getting some help from Uncle.Hammering on his new workbench.Roasting marshmallows...might be a new Christmas tradition at our house. :)

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve was filled with lots of fun activities!

Baking Christmas cookies.

Watching the cake batter get mixed up. We made a birthday cake for Jesus.When we started decorating our cookies, Ian looked over at me and said, "Mommy, I like to make the cookies, but my favorite part is decorating them." :) He is great at quality control too; there is not a single sprinkle that does not get tested by this little guy.Before church.

Reindeer food.Setting out milk and cookies for Santa.Resting up for an exciting Christmas Day.

Christmas Lights

Ian was feeling a little under the weather one day, and we enjoyed a quiet day at home. That night we went driving around Leander to check out Christmas lights in different neighborhoods. It was a fun night, and I am already looking forward to doing it again next year.

Freshly bathed. Decked out in jammies. Candy cane in hand. Ready to look at some lights.Ian LOVES candy canes. :)

Trail of Lights

Marble Falls has a great trail of lights that we first went to when Ian was just a baby. We checked it out this year on a beautiful Sunday evening. For a small town, I am amazed by how many lights are on display! Ian enjoyed all of the lights so much that we went through a second time. Here are a few of our pictures.

Relaxing Morning

This morning Ian requested pancakes for breakfast. I decided to add a little Christmas cheer by putting sprinkles in the batter. Ian was quite impressed by his Mommy's culinary skills, and ate almost 5 pancakes!

Pushing his sleeves up in preparation for his breakfast feast.Ian snuggling with his puppy friends. The big "Christmas Puppy" (as Ian has named him), has quickly become his favorite stuffed animal!