Christmas 2017

Last holiday of 2017 has come and gone, and our baby Scarlett's first Christmas!  We stayed put this year in Tulsa because of the new baby and my husband's work schedule.  We aren't college kids who get 3 weeks off anymore or in the Air Force and get a week of free leave!  We were so happy to not have to travel around to 2 or 3 different houses.  Shout out to our families who came to see us instead!

First we celebrated with my in-laws.  Norah loved the cousin play time!  They are at that age now where they just scream with excitement and the thrills of fake ghosts they see and chase each other around.  It's hilarious.  Norah has to do everything big cousin Elise does.  Watching them play is the best.  She got her first real big present ever, a huge dollhouse from Nana and Pops!  She loves it and has played with it everyday since.  We ate a yummy brunch, watched the kids open gifts and watched junk TV the rest of the day.  It was a great kick off to the holiday weekend!

Next came Christmas Eve.  We stayed put in Tulsa and started the day off at our favorite breakfast place Dilly Diner.  I finally could have more than one cup of coffee and a mimosa!  Then we people watched at the mall, came home and baked sugar cookies with Norah for the first time.  She loved helping me cut the cookies out and decorate them.  I can't wait to include her more in baking, she loved it.  Then we hit Starbucks and all loaded up in the car to drive around and gaze at Christmas Lights.  It was a great time and I would say Norah's favorite thing about Christmas is the lights.  We will have to for sure put that on our list for next year.  Afterwards we put cookies and milk out for Santa and hit the hay!

Christmas Day was exhausting, exciting and magical.  Scarlett had us up at 6:30a so we had to wait for big sister to wake up.  She came downstairs and said "Santa was here!"  She doesn't quite get the concept but she's catching on!  She kept saying Wow!!  We did stockings and then gifts.  So. Much. Wrapping. Paper!!  It was one of the best yet.  Norah actually tore into her gifts with her face all lit up and it was just the best.  Sweet Scarlett slept through it all!  Hard to believe next year she'll be walking around, tugging on the tree I'm sure!

This book I started for him in August 2014 when he first started law school.  It's an album of pictures, grades and life events that happened for him throughout law school!

Christmas mess in the best mess

This awesome guy got me bumper plates to go with my "pull gift", my bar bell!!!

First pair of lululemon's..hooked!

Can't wait for the building to begin!

Christmas morning at 0630!

Mama is making some major PR's this year!  Thanks love!

Later that day Maka and Jack came by and had more gifts for Norah.  Her favorite was an educational activity desk to learn her colors, letters, numbers, body parts, animals, etc!  It's awesome and I like that it's set up to sit at a desk mimicking school.  Maka finally got snuggle time with Scarlett!

My Stepdad cut this tree down and made this!

My awesome Mom knew we needed a freezer bad (our old one died) and I have a breastmilk stash that needed a home.  Thanks Mom and Jack!!  I can freeze meat again!

We had a wonderful first Christmas as a family of four.  We loved keeping at home, maximizing our down time and cooking yummy food.  Next year we've talked about going away for Christmas since we won't be able to use Scarlett as an excuse to keep home haha.  We'll see!  There's just something to be said for not traveling 10+ hours in a car in a matter of 3 days lol. 

Merry Christmas from all FOUR of the McVays! <3

This marked our 10th Christmas together.  A decade worth of Christmases!  We've spent so much time a part over the years due to deployments, school or Air Force schools but we always manage to see each other on Christmas.  I love you!