Christmas 2025

We did send out Christmas cards this year!  When I went to pull 2024's card to add to the reverse side of this year, I found that I hadn't sent them out since 2022! = 0   It is expensive to send out cards, but I will still try to send one out every other year!

I had to get input from my dear ones this year, to make sure that their Christmas Pajamas were not one-time wears, as they had been the past couple of years.  I don't want to add to the pollution of the world by buying new, matching, nightgowns for my children, that are only worn once.  They have been wearing them regularly since Christmas, with the exception of Alice, but I got hers in a style that William could wear in a year or so.

Emily, Grace, and Juliet also got doll nightgowns, so we welcomed them into the picture too!  I don't frequently shop at Kohl's, but I had the gift card that the color guard gave me, which I was anxious to use before I forgot about it, so it was a win all around.

After Avia brought home Emily, Grace, and Juliet from Christmas Eve service, we opened this year's Christmas pajamas!  Just look at how adorable my children are in their matching pajamas!!! <3

William was up wildly early on Christmas morning, sorting the gifts, but Grace really wanted to help with that step, so I got up to rein him in, and since I was up, start on lunch.

 

The gifts were smaller than year's past, but more expensive for sure! lol.  I do love that my children are at an age to intentionally shop for one another, many of the clothes that were exchanged were kept and worn by the recipient!  

Some gifts were questioned while we were shopping, like the shoelaces that Alice gifted Juliet, but Juliet was excited to relace her shoes in a star pattern!

I found another round of Christmas crackers this year, so we had just enough for everyone to pop one open at Christmas lunch!  We were able to save much of the trash for reuse at our new year's party!

Avia joined us for our feast of ham and all the regular sides!

After lunch, Juliet offered to put away the Nativity scene, so, while I had willing helpers, we put away our Christmas decor on Christmas day!  It felt really nice to have the chore done and over!

We enjoyed celebrating the birth of Jesus, and spending a nice day at home, with tasty food, and each other.

later days

edit 1-19-26: backdated for continuity.

Christmas PJs

With the Exception of this year's Escape Room gift, the only gifts we open before Christmas morning are Christmas Pajamas!

I ordered these forever ago, like August or September I think, definitely while they had old stock.  I ordered adult smalls for Alice, Emily, and William, and [unspecified] larges for Grace and Juliet.  When they arrived, it turned out that they were Adult Larges, not child larges, despite their placement on the drop-down list. 

In any case, I contacted the company to return the two large ones, and was going to order two more adult smalls, even though the twins would swim in them.  When I filled out the form to return them, they indicated for me to just keep them! 

So, after dark, on Christmas Eve*, my children opened their very large, but also very cheap, pajamas!

Everyone approved of the Christmas dino!

But getting a good group shot this year was extra tricky!

"William, show off your shirt!" lol.

But after many outtakes, and lots of laughs, we did finally get one that fit the bill!

Alice was a good sport, but didn't care much for the material, and changed out of them as soon as the pictures were settled.

Thankful for another year of matching pajamas!

later days

*my mom had planned to take anyone who wanted to go to Christmas Eve service with her, then have a sleepover, but came down quite ill, so we didn't see her for the entire week!

backdated for continuity 12-30-24

Christmas Pajamas

Y'all, it is Christmas Eve and I'm all caught up posting, and now, I'm posting the Christmas Pajama pictures!  I'm really and truly up to date!!!!  (Also, the pumpkin pie for tomorrow is almost done and the crockpot is out and the Lego advent calendar is put away and the dishwasher is washing and the washer is washing and I'm feeling really put together for once!)

Anyhow, it took us two rounds to get an acceptable, smiling, still picture of all five.  Though, I do kind of like all the non-acceptable, kind-of-smiling, not-still pictures of my dear ones.  First, those:

And then, the one that has been staged and vetted and edited and can be used as my facebook cover photo:

Merry Christmas from all of us, may your Christmas be filled with fun and laughter and love!

So thankful for that baby born long, long ago, that gives us reason to celebrate today.

later days