A quiet Christmas

It was a hard Christmas to get through. I'm reluctant to talk about it. It hurts as much as one would expect it to. The only thing that made me happy was seeing the magic of Christmas with the girls this year. Santa was very much a big deal. They even picked out their own door busters. Haha. 

It was overkill this year with Christmas gatherings. 5 to be exact. Never again! I spent more on food than I did on gifts. Next year we all promised to consolidate the exchanges. Here are just a few photos of Christmas events starting with a couple thanksgiving pictures.

Jill and I co-hosted and failed miserably. It just wasn't the same.

The girls are getting so big.

We finally attended Justin's Christmas parade in St. Charles.

Breakfast with Santa was a hit :)

Delicious foods and face painting fun. 

Christmas Eve chaos!

Christmas morning was very modest this year. We knew they would get tons from everyone else, which they did! We kept it simple this year. 

We had so many get togethers that I just cannot document it all. The girls made out like bandits of course. No more toys for a long time! 

A Princess Party

The time has finally come. The girls want to be princesses. They adore the Disney ones especially. Rapunzel and Merida seem to be the top 2 for sure. It's a fun time for them and me. I enjoy seeing the wonder and imagination that comes from their little minds. The party was small and the food was simple. All finger foods. Some were kid favorites like pigs in a blanket and Mac-n-cheese balls. Other are more adventurous for adults like bacon wrapped figs and sriracha laced tacos. It was delicious and a hit. 

There was plenty of attention to detail. The greatest thing about this party was the fact that I already had almost all the decorations from previous parties. I had to buy very few items. It was also the most impressive display I have done yet. It seems each party ups the ante. I'm just competing with myself :)

My mom always made birthdays magical. She ensured nothing but pure fun, fantasy, and wonderful memories. I follow that same trend. Parties may be over the top, but they are the greatest memories you can capture. We typically don't give birthday gifts because the party in itself is the gift. It's a fair trade. Below are some pictures from the event.