Our Christmas Recap in Lists & Pictures

This Christmas was: 1) white (so.much.snow!), 2) random (keep reading), and 3) went by entirely too quickly!

My favorite little guy ❤

The Winter scene from the front porch.

Yours truly, capturing Christmas.

I make it a point to commit happy memories to the pages of this blog and the lives-forever web-at-large, but I’m also well aware of that digital veil we all live behind. Thus, it is in celebration of mediocrity that I submit to you our list of Christmas highs and lows. 😉

The Good

1. The magic of experiencing Christmas through a 4 year old’s eyes
2. Putting outdoor lights up for the 1st time (even if you couldn’t see them over the snow banks)
3. Jackson’s interest in decorating the tree (finally!)
4. Me actually not being a control freak about Jackson decorating the tree
5. Letting Jackson pick out the new bulbs (a simple red & green assortment)
6. Enjoying the downtown Christmas tree lighting with friends
7. Jackson’s first real movie experience (Polar Express @ State Theatre)
8. Blowing Christmas bubbles (a family tradition)
9. Starting a new German food tradition (currywurst mit pommes frites)
10. Unearthing Frosty the inflatable snow man
11. Inventing the Coffee Colada (banana-infused coffee with rum)
12. A random just-for-us Santa sighting in the middle of no where (he waved & Jackson beamed) 🙂
13. Realizing my son is a shutter-bug as he toted my Nikon around the house
14. Getting my son a kids camera for Christmas, in the hopes that it can be something we share
15. Jackson’s glee with getting a “dark vadar” & a “light saver” for Christmas
16. Finally finding an advent calendar we could get behind
17. Charting sledding courses in the back yard
18. Making Jackson an Alphabet Book made entirely of pictures featuring him
19. Chance-lers (when home-made accessories and cabin fever conspire against good doggies) 😉

It’s kind-of crazy how okay he was with wearing these.

Santa baby 🙂

A gift that was fun to make (thank you Snapfish) 🙂

The Bad

1. The buzz-kill of being sick all week
2. Need.more.sun!
3. The brief Mommy-time-out-pity-party I thew myself thanks to 1 & 2
4. Realizing the x-box that “Santa fixed” doesn’t have an HDMI cable
5. That one game I forgot to buy for Jackson :- /
6. I NEVER buy enough batteries

The Ugly

1. Waking up to dog barf ..on the comforter.. at 3am on Christmas night. (Silver linings: 1) at least it wasn’t Christmas Eve! 2) completely absolved me of any guilt I may have felt for the Chance-lers)

So there you have it: the whole, sometimes unsavory truth. Happy to report that the good definitely outweighed the bad. 🙂 And since I couldn’t possibly end on that dog puke part… more photos! (Check the captions for a few extra “what you don’t see” gems.) 😉

We hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and cheers to a Happy New Year!

Jackson in his first school holiday show. 🙂

Ceiling stars and the big red curtain at the State Theatre.

One of the many downtown ice sculptures.

Can you tell where Jackson concentrated his efforts? 🙂

May your days be merry and bright. 🙂

Jackson’s favorite decor in the neighborhood (not ours).

Snow-covered Christmas lights (the neighbor’s).

Jackson enjoys the lights (ours this time). 🙂

Handsome Jack 🙂

Sooooo cute.

Quiet Christmas Eve.

The boys in the Christmas chaos.

Jackson unwraps while Chance wonders what’s happening.

Stocking stuffers.

Classic Jackson expression.

Admiring his light-up bubble gun (we dialed things up this year).

Bubble wand vs. Lightsaber.

Because bubble-popping is serious business.

Proud mom moment!

Candy!!

The nutcracker collection.

Mitten hands 🙂

Snow baby 🙂

From our venture out into the sun at Clinch Beach.

Outdoor fun with his new toy.

Our seriously tall evergreens.

Jim and Jax sled. 🙂

He’s really getting used to all this snow!

Snow and icicles cover the house.

Snow-buried Puggle! 🙂

Chance moved MUCH quicker once we carved out some tracks. 🙂

Winter icicles and snow from the kitchen window.

Cozy time.