This is the Christmas post

I know your all overwhelmed with the creativity of my post title but I'll make up for it with some cute pictures of my kids:) We definitely have our traditions over here at the Gaitan household (as you have seen in previous posts:) and Christmas is no exception! Christmas Eve we headed over to Margie's church for a wonderful service and then back to her place for dinner!

Ham! Homemade Tamales! Potatoes, rosemary sea salt rolls and burnt carrots (yeah, I was too busy opening presents to be bothered with tending to my roasting carrots) Also two kinds of pie, lemon pound cake, cookies, ice cream, peppermint bark and a partridge in a pear tree! We opened gifts while the food cooked (or overcooked in the case of the carrots). Mina and John had some birthday business to take care of first:)

Magnus was excited to get started on his first Christmas:)

I think Nani was more excited than he was though:)

There are people in there underneath all those gifts and paper!

The stockings were hung on the chimney with care

Look what Mina got:)

 Max REALLY enjoyed himself:)

and Nani helped Magnus put together his new toy:)

I didn't take a TON of pictures of every gift but rest assured much gifts were given and received! Thanks to all who were there:) We love you!

Once we were home there was another tradition to adhere to:)

The next day the kids slept in till almost nine! And waited patiently while I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast:) But let's get to it already!

 I got a Pug for Christmas!!

 Well really JUST for Christmas:) We are sitting for "Pippin" while his owners visit family in DC:) The kids enjoyed themselves:)

So did Pippin:)

and the day was spent hanging out

and playing:)

I was in the kitchen preparing MY favorite part of Christmas!

Dinner!:) Comprised mostly (OK all:) of Pioneer Woman recipes:) It was all SOooooo very good!

Christmas really is our favorite time of year, reminders of how good our God is and all that he dose for us and we get to share that with our children. What could be better than that?

Lights! Lights! Lights!

We've enjoyed us some Christmas festivities this week, and I will take you along for the journey!  Monday night we went to one of our favorite neighborhoods to Look at Christmas lights:) A family tradition:)

 The kids really enjoyed it and liked to tell us what their favorite color was:)

Max liked to exclaim everything (I know, big shocker)!  Like for this one he said, "Hey! Dat wooks wike a B-cano!"

That's Vol-cano for those who don't speak Huckahodle:)  On this one, John said, "Oh no! Look, Santa is falling off the roof!" And Max replied....

*very matter of factly* "Dad,, wats wust for deco-ration." Then he had to tell us about everything that was "wust for deco-ration":) It was a fun time:)  Tuesday we had a cookie swap for my Womens group.

This was the only picture I took (I must have been too busy eating:)  Then we had some fun Christmas crafts with the kids.

But that night it was time for the highly anticipated LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS!!! The kids have been waiting for 2 months:)

We stopped at my favorite place first:)

Then we headed to Mina's.

Horse rides!

Max was unsure at first but after some reassurance

he liked it!

We just had to see the cheesy "Bruce the Spruce."

Magnus didn't want to wear his hat.

We also got to see some "Victorian Carolers."

Then we strolled along and took in some lights:)

These were my favorite.

While John got us some of these

the kids and I waited to ride the train! This was Max's favorite part. Can you tell?

They all liked it!

My cute boys! I love this pic:)

Then it was time to see the big guy. He said "Hey little boy, what do you want for Christmas? A new haircut?"

Bwuaahahahahaah! Funny Santa!

Magnus liked him too:)

And the yearly family photo:)

Such fun! We did some grocery shopping today to stock up for Christmas dinner, and had dinner with some wonderful friends. God is so good to our little family!