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Merry belated Christmas and Happy Boxing Day if you celebrate, and/or Happy Thursday if you don’t!  I hope you’ve had a wonderful week.

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Mostly, we’ve just been lounging around the house!

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We had a quiet Christmas morning at home. Henry couldn’t appreciate presents last year, but he definitely *got it* this year. He was so excited and so overwhelmed by the gifts!  I’m glad we kept our Christmas to a minimum because I think his little head would’ve exploded if it was a crazed-throwing-off-wrapping-paper kind of thing. In fact, he was so wound up by Christmas that he thoroughly boycotted his nap (which never happens!) and stayed up all day long without throwing a single wobbly (a big accomplishment in toddler land).  All he wanted to do was PLAY!

 

Here’s a few of our favorite presents…

 

Henry adored his Melissa and Doug Hi Rise Dollhouse from Santa.  Side note: ‘Santa’ thought that assembling this thing was an absolute nightmare – but it was worth it!  He played with it for two hours straight before we had to peel him away to open something else.

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His gift from Mom and Dad were these Jungle Animal figurines and these Farm Animal figurines. These were also a big hit.  They are really BIG (the giraffe is over a foot fall) and super realistic. I haven’t been able to pry them out of his hands since.

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My mother-in-law gave me a deluxe eye mask.  It’s dreamy!

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The Husband got me the Hyperbole and a Half book and chocolate.  Score!

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I gave Kristien new sunglasses (we are going on a cruise soon!).  He also got a silk Miami Hurricanes tie, which he was pretty pumped about.

 

We’ll be celebrate Boxing Day with big feast. Kristien’s sister Sophie taught him how to make her signature ‘English style’ roasted potatoes, so I’m going to try to write out the recipe so I can share with you guys (they are so ridiculously delicious).  I hope to go on a run, too.  The training plan has a three mile race pace run on the calendar. It’s so cold out… this may be a treadmill run!

 

Sweet Santa and Scary Santa Winners

 

I adored this year’s Santa contest (here’s the Sweet post and here’s the Scary post).  We’ll definitely do it again next year.  Without further ado, here are the winners…

 

Jennifer’s daughter Elly…

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Victoria’s Daughter!

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The winners will receive a Headbands of Hope headband.  For every headband purchases, one is donated to a girl suffering with cancer. <3

 

What was the best/nicest present you gave or received?  Anyone get engaged or announce a baby yesterday? 🙂

{ 18 comments }

 

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More December 26, 2013, 9:41 am

    Merry Christmas! Looks like Henry definitely enjoyed his day! 😉

  • Beks December 26, 2013, 10:57 am

    I got a LOT of cake decorating stuff from my aunt, and then my cousin-in-law (who’s also into cake decorating) said if we ever get each other in secret Santa, we need to pay for each other to go to the Wilton cake decorating school (apparently it’s like $1500 for a week of in-depth classes?). Looking forward to trying them all out. 🙂

    I’m buying my favorite gifts for my parents and sis today and tomorrow. We’re going on a Disney Cruise in February, so I’m buying them Disney Gift Cards for it. Personalized. 🙂

  • Autumn December 26, 2013, 11:36 am

    I am 9 weeks pregnant wih my first. I first mentioned beong ready to have a baby 3 years ago so I am super pumped that he was finally ready. I announced it a few days before Christmas. I just couldn’t wait.

  • Miranda @ Lovely Wife Lovely Life December 26, 2013, 12:06 pm

    Always a good sign when you have to peel someone away from your present, right? 🙂 Best present I received yesterday was a customized mug that Christian handmade for me and a beautiful, sweet necklace he bought! So blessed by him <3 The best reaction to one of the gifts I gave was my dad's… I gave him a book ("500 Coolest Cars of All Time") and he spent the next 3 hours flipping through the pages! So glad your Christmas went well 🙂

  • Morgan December 26, 2013, 12:12 pm

    Merry Christmas! Henry looks so cute with his toys 🙂

  • Joni December 26, 2013, 12:18 pm

    My daughter gave me two CD’s – The Best of Michael Jackson and The Best of Madonna. Took me right back to the 80’s and high school. 🙂

  • Rebecca December 26, 2013, 12:49 pm

    Looks like a good Christmas! 🙂

    I got most of what I asked for, and a few things that were surprises. Mostly clothes, actually. It’s becoming a trend in our house to buy me nice clothes for Christmas…

    The last of my cousins announced his engagement yesterday, actually! Over Skype, since they’re halfway across the country. His fiancee had to open multiple boxes to get to her ring. Cute story. The middle one is already married, the youngest is getting married in May, and the oldest is finally engaged. Just leaves me and my sister…

    My mom’s side got together (some of us) on Saturday and the kiddos opened their gifts from Great-Grandma (my grandma). One snooped at his, so it got switched when he wasn’t looking. He was not happy to be tricked, but his aunt and mom agreed “You snoop, you lose.” We left him searching for it for like 15 minutes and then gave it to him after he got a talking-to about fairness and complaining and whatnot.

    I had to laugh when you said it was cold outside and you might run inside. My dad is part of a group of crazies who committed to run outdoors every day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and today’s high is 26. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be back up in the 30s, but after Saturday we go back down to negative degrees. For highs and lows. Ah, Minne-snow-ta. Home sweet freezing home.

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun December 26, 2013, 1:02 pm

    Merry Christmas! Looks like Henry and family had a great time 🙂

  • Alisha @ Gluten Free Perspective December 26, 2013, 1:09 pm

    I love a laid back Christmas— glad it was a fun one for y’all! I gave my brother a beta fish…. a random surprise haha

  • Abby December 26, 2013, 2:32 pm

    Best present received…a new biking jersey from my brother!

    Best present given…a massage for my brother!

    We have more celebrating to do today and tomorrow, almost there 🙂

  • erica December 26, 2013, 3:10 pm

    omg. I need to get that book!

  • Keri December 26, 2013, 4:14 pm

    Merry Christmas! As an expecting mama, it’s fun to see what our little guy might be up to in a couple years. I’m already excited for Christmases to come 🙂

    This year, I was most excited about some new Athleta running clothes my husband got me. I won’t fit into them for a bit (We’re due any day!), but can’t wait to take them out for a spin in a couple months!!

    Happy run to you 🙂

  • Victoria December 26, 2013, 4:34 pm

    Looks like a great Christmas! YAY for my sweet girl winning. Thanks!

  • Laura December 26, 2013, 10:22 pm

    I received tons of triathlon gear…aero bars, foam roller, etc. I had to explain to my parents what the gifts were once I opened them-they gave them to me but had no idea what they did! LOL.

    We also took a Christmas Day walk in the woods in the 8 degree weather and it was gorgeous!

    • Caitlin December 26, 2013, 11:15 pm

      LOL!

  • Elizabeth @ Positive Change December 27, 2013, 9:13 am

    I gave a tablet to my mom and a Fitbit to my dad and I was so pumped to give it to them! Henry looks like he got some great gifts!

  • Mama Maria December 27, 2013, 5:40 pm

    We had a wonderful Christmas which was made all that happier when I received a lovely mug that said ” the best mom’s get promoted to grandmas!”

  • Sharon@DiscoverExploreLearn December 27, 2013, 7:19 pm

    Oh, I love that Dollhouse. It’s so hard to find ones that aren’t bright pink. My boys love to play with the mini furniture and people, but aren’t too excited about all the pinkness. 🙂

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