Christmas season starts with getting the lights on the house and yard! We added a spiral lit tree this year (not pictured) and will add to the "display" each year! Chad has big plans for next year!
Day after Thanksgiving shopping excursion. Yes, mom and I brought Anna with us and were to Target by 5 am. We had a fun filled day and got some great deals.
Decorating the Christmas tree. Got a late start this year with Thanksgiving being so late but it is always fun to spend the time putting the ornaments on one at a time and reminiscing about each one.
A new tradition this year was to visit Santa in downtown White Bear Lake. It was GREAT! Thanks to the Vosbergs for recommending it. We had breakfast at Key's and then waiting like 5 minutes to see a GREAT Santa and you get a FREE picture! They even have horse drawn carriage rides. It was a fun new tradition that we will for sure be continuing.
Chad and I always spend a Saturday in December on a shopping date and then the next day my mom, Anna and I do some cookie baking. We toned it down a little this year but mom still took the time to make cut-outs with Anna. They had so much fun!
The best part of Christmas - celebrating with friends and family. We had our friends, Joe, Sarah, and Kate over for dinner and then the kids exchanged presents. Love watching them play together!
Later that same week we had Heath, Jill and Brevin for dinner and a present exchange. So fun to see the joy and wonder in the kids eyes!
David flew in from NYC on Friday the 19th and we headed right downtown to see the Macy's 8th Floor display. Really cute display this year! Love this tradition.
Always after the 8th floor we head to Nicollet Mall for the Holidazzle - another tradition that I love. It was a pretty "mild" night considering how cold it had been all week so we lucked out.
Our first family Christmas with the Carstens at Dad and Sue's house in WI. Anna got a pink guitar from Gma and Gpa. Pretty exciting.
For Christmas Eve we headed to Rosemount for Christmas mass and then to my aunt and uncle's on my dad's side to celebrate. I was so surprised to find at Christmas mass an old priest of ours in Monticello! Fr. Bill was a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed mass with him!
Family photo on Christmas Eve.
It has become tradition for us all to open new pajamas on Christmas Eve night - no matter how late we get home. It is fun to be in new PJs for Christmas morning.
Christmas morning - checking out the milk and cookies that Santa left over. Anna is holding up the notes she left for him. One just says Santa - Love - Anna. The other one says - Eat the cookies whenever you want to. Anna wanted to make sure that Santa knew he didn't HAVE to eat the cookies right away. He could take them with him! :) Santa wrote a nice Thank You note back to Anna too.
Anna holding the ONE present she actually asked for - Baby Alive. I guess she probably could have done without all the other stuff. Besides Baby Alive she was most excited about the tea set she got. We promptly had tea after this photo!
Then we headed to Monti to celebrate Christmas with just the immediate family. I didn't get a picture of Anna putting our baby Jesus in the manger but got one at Gma and Gpa's. Baby Jesus sleeps in a drawer at both places until Christmas morning.
Gma and Gpa looking at their gift from Anna - a photo calendar.
Our last Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family in Mankato. We were excited to have my cousin and her family here from VA to celebrate with us this year.
Playing a little Rock Band. We never leave home without it! :)
Cousin fun! I guess they would either be 3rd cousins or 2nd cousins once removed. I have no idea how that all works. Anna with Ethan and Bailey.
And now adding in the "big" kids - Tommy, Hannah and Bridget.
It always goes by so fast but it was a great week+ of Christmas celebrations. The thing I love the most is how it brings people together. Whether it be friends and family that you see often throughout the year or family and friends you see only a couple of times a year. What a great time to connect and celebrate the birth of Jesus! It brings a renewed spirit to carry us into the new year!
Day after Thanksgiving shopping excursion. Yes, mom and I brought Anna with us and were to Target by 5 am. We had a fun filled day and got some great deals. 
Decorating the Christmas tree. Got a late start this year with Thanksgiving being so late but it is always fun to spend the time putting the ornaments on one at a time and reminiscing about each one.
A new tradition this year was to visit Santa in downtown White Bear Lake. It was GREAT! Thanks to the Vosbergs for recommending it. We had breakfast at Key's and then waiting like 5 minutes to see a GREAT Santa and you get a FREE picture! They even have horse drawn carriage rides. It was a fun new tradition that we will for sure be continuing. 
Chad and I always spend a Saturday in December on a shopping date and then the next day my mom, Anna and I do some cookie baking. We toned it down a little this year but mom still took the time to make cut-outs with Anna. They had so much fun!
The best part of Christmas - celebrating with friends and family. We had our friends, Joe, Sarah, and Kate over for dinner and then the kids exchanged presents. Love watching them play together!
Later that same week we had Heath, Jill and Brevin for dinner and a present exchange. So fun to see the joy and wonder in the kids eyes!
David flew in from NYC on Friday the 19th and we headed right downtown to see the Macy's 8th Floor display. Really cute display this year! Love this tradition.
Always after the 8th floor we head to Nicollet Mall for the Holidazzle - another tradition that I love. It was a pretty "mild" night considering how cold it had been all week so we lucked out. 
Our first family Christmas with the Carstens at Dad and Sue's house in WI. Anna got a pink guitar from Gma and Gpa. Pretty exciting. 
For Christmas Eve we headed to Rosemount for Christmas mass and then to my aunt and uncle's on my dad's side to celebrate. I was so surprised to find at Christmas mass an old priest of ours in Monticello! Fr. Bill was a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed mass with him! 
Family photo on Christmas Eve.
It has become tradition for us all to open new pajamas on Christmas Eve night - no matter how late we get home. It is fun to be in new PJs for Christmas morning.
Christmas morning - checking out the milk and cookies that Santa left over. Anna is holding up the notes she left for him. One just says Santa - Love - Anna. The other one says - Eat the cookies whenever you want to. Anna wanted to make sure that Santa knew he didn't HAVE to eat the cookies right away. He could take them with him! :) Santa wrote a nice Thank You note back to Anna too.
Anna holding the ONE present she actually asked for - Baby Alive. I guess she probably could have done without all the other stuff. Besides Baby Alive she was most excited about the tea set she got. We promptly had tea after this photo!
Then we headed to Monti to celebrate Christmas with just the immediate family. I didn't get a picture of Anna putting our baby Jesus in the manger but got one at Gma and Gpa's. Baby Jesus sleeps in a drawer at both places until Christmas morning.
Gma and Gpa looking at their gift from Anna - a photo calendar. 
Our last Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family in Mankato. We were excited to have my cousin and her family here from VA to celebrate with us this year. 
Playing a little Rock Band. We never leave home without it! :) 
Cousin fun! I guess they would either be 3rd cousins or 2nd cousins once removed. I have no idea how that all works. Anna with Ethan and Bailey. 
And now adding in the "big" kids - Tommy, Hannah and Bridget. 
It always goes by so fast but it was a great week+ of Christmas celebrations. The thing I love the most is how it brings people together. Whether it be friends and family that you see often throughout the year or family and friends you see only a couple of times a year. What a great time to connect and celebrate the birth of Jesus! It brings a renewed spirit to carry us into the new year!
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