christmas 2015

Before we get too far into 2016, here's the Christmas recap. I think it might have been the best Christmas we have spent in Sacramento to date. Perhaps it is because the kids were one year older. Little Miss J was really excited about Christmas and was pretty enthusiastic about the advent calendar - so enthusiastic that according to the advent calendar, Christmas was coming about three days early. Perhaps it was because we were closing out a pretty good year for the Chunglund family. We had a very happy and healthy 2015.

After wrapping all the presents and putting them under the tree, I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume so made the executive order to establish Christmas Eve Eve where we opened presents from friends and extended family. The goal was to cut down on the gift opening fatigue.

On Christmas Eve we celebrated by opening gifts from our little family, then headed to Old Sacramento for the annual Chunglund crab extravaganza. Little Miss J can eat crab faster than you can crack it. This is the first year J2 has really gotten into it, but he kept pace with his sister. 

Our timing was off so we either had to wait 45 minutes for the nightly light show or just head home. We opted for heading home. Little Miss J fell asleep on the way home so Gus got right to putting her doll house together from Santa, while I tried to keep J2 from hiding/breaking/eating any of the pieces.

Christmas morning we opened presents from Santa and Gus's parents came over for breakfast.

I desperately tried to get a cute picture of both my kids in their Christmas jammies in front of the tree. I intended to bribe him with a jellybean, but he just kept holding his hand out for it.

I finally gave in and the next picture is him picking said jellybean out of his teeth. I can't really win.

We spent the day playing with toys and I baked a chocolate Guinness cheesecake topped with Bailey's whipped cream since we were headed to our neighbors' for Christmas dinner. Julie, Top Chef extraordinaire, made the entire beautiful meal without the use of her stove/oven. She's pretty amazing. Drinks, dinner, friends, and Wii bowling. What better way to spend Christmas?

Hope you all had the merriest of Christmases too!

xoxo!