And to all a good night

Christmas started early in our house. In fact, I'm surprised we slept at all. This year I remade all the stockings. After last year of having them not quite fit everything, I super sized them. I Love stockings. I love that they are full of such prizes like coloring books, toothbrushes, candy, oranges, toys, nuts, lovies, cereal boxes etc. I think they are some of my favorite things on Christmas morn. So I was super pleased with how much could be stuffed into my new stockings. Plus we all had our names on them!!

Christmas Eve never passes without my dad reading the Night Before Christmas. I don't think it would seem like Christmas Eve if my dad didn't read this book to the children before we hustled them off to bed. It is what I grew up with and I love that my kids get to create this memory with my dad. I'm sure that one day it will fall to Andy, but for now, we love having the patriarch continue this long held tradition.

The boys made quick work of setting up and playing Shake and Go Race Speedway. Santa was good to them and they continued to play with it throughout the entire Christmas break with their cousins.

I helped Giff out with his stocking. He enjoyed just sitting back and watching until he realized there was candy in the stockings as well as gifts. He really liked Christmas then. He takes after his Aunt Missy.

Katie and I began to work on her decoding mystery paper once she opened her detective kit from Santa.




Katie received a detective kit from Santa this year. Along with that came a decoder with a mystery puzzle courtesy of the Backyardigans and her mommy and daddy that she had to solve.
She worked out that the mystery led her to the chalkboard in the toy room. She promptly figured out the word "coffee table" and came running back up stairs. All of this allowed me time to put out the prize.
Her very own male Hamster which she named Lucy!
The boys made quick work of their stockings and loved every minute of the fun of dumping them out.
The family shot of the Brimhalls in their Christmas Jammies. We take the picture first thing in the morning before gifts so that everyone is still happy.


Baker loved all of his gifts this year and many of Griffy's and Katie's as well. He just thought everything was so fun.The highlight of Griffy's Christmas was a lite brite travel kit my mom got him and this other ride along my mom got him. She must be a toddler whisperer because he was so thrilled and rode rampage on everything left in his path.

for Christmas we game my dad his very own critique book. He had made a comment at a dinner party about critiquing the guests and we turned this into one of the funniest jokes. We critique everything now and so for Christmas, we let him have on of his very own.

This is Christmas eve, but would take too long to rearrange the pics. We had a wonderful evening of clam chowder, potato soup, a Nativity play and new pjs with our dear friends and family.
Merry Christmas to ALL!
(ps. are you loving these jammies or what? I painted all the candy canes)