Christmas 2011

This Christmas had a big first... 1st Christmas in Kentucky and traveling back to Minnesota to be with family. Caleb & Ava once again proved just like when we moved here how great and quickly they adjusted right into the new way we celebrated Christmas. Great memories, laughs, and just being together made for a wonderful week!

To best and most simply describe our week and pictures below, I am going to give dates and descriptions to describe how Christmas went. We had such a great time being back to Minnesota for the first time since we moved to Kentucky. Being with parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces & nephews was so wonderful.

Thursday night 12/22: Caleb & Ava each got to open one present from mom and dad.

Friday a.m. 12/23: We started our drive to MN at 2:00pm and stopped at a motel that night.

Saturday 12/24: We arrived at Terry & Debbie's that morning at 10:15am. Jaime and Tom came over with Kendra. Split the day up playing in Jordan for a few hours and then over to Shakopee for a few hours. Caleb did his tradition of helping Grandma Mary set up the Xmas village, Peter stopped over after work, and then we headed over to the house in Shakopee with the huge light display and Santa & Mrs. Claus. Back over to Jordan for the evening we spent Xmas eve visiting and watching Home Alone.

Sunday 12/25: Caleb & Ava woke up Xmas morning in Jordan and ran up the stairs and Grandma & Grandpa's to the xmas tree where Santa had left them each one present- Caleb got Optimus Prime transformer and Ava got talking Ariel doll. Then I took the kids to Xmas morning mass at St. John's Church along with Terry and Debbie. Later that morning everyone arrived- and then all the Eid cousins were together again! It was such a mild day out that I took Caleb, Ava and Mallory outside. Ava even got a birthday cake to celebrate her birthday since we won't be with everyone for her January 9 birthday. Great day it was.

Monday 12/26: Caleb & Ava stayed in Jordan that morning and into the afternoon while Craig and I went to Benihana's for lunch with my parents, brother's and sister's-in-law's. After a yummy lunch we picked up Caleb & Ava and headed over to Shakopee to my parent's house later that afternoon to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family. I finally got to meet my adorable niece Autumn!! Opening presents, hot tub and birthday cake to celebrate Ava and Jack's January birthdays.

Tuesday 12/27: I took Ava to the Nutcracker Ballet (a tradition of my dad and I since I was Ava's age) along with my parents and Kristy. Ava was in amazement! While we were there Caleb spent some time with Uncle Chris, Uncle Peter and cousin Jack. Craig visited with his sister and niece Kendra. That night was a cousin sleep over for Caleb, Ava and Jack at my parent house. Hot tub, Polar Express movie, and bed time giggles. The next morning was Grandpa Albie's famous pancakes!

Wednesday 12/28: Caleb got to do his tradition of pushing Peter off the rock in my parent's front yard, before we were off to visit a former co-worker & good friend of Craig's, and then headed over to Woodbury where the kids played that afternoon and we spent the night. Another cousin sleep over:)

Thursday 12/29: We stopped to visit Craig's best friend. I got to visit with my grandma. And then just like that, as I knew would happen, the week had zipped by and it was our last night in MN. We split up the late afternoon/evening- In Shakopee we went to the park quick, had a tea party, more hot tub, an elf spotting (Thank you Peter for running around at dusk in the elf hat and jingle bells- the kids were in awe when from the hot tub they spotted an elf!), pizza, pictures of Ava & Autumn in their matching red xmas dresses, and then our good byes. Over to Jordan we visited with Jaime, Kendra and Terry & Debbie, watched a couple Christmas shows with the kids and then it was off to bed in hopes that the snow that was possibly in the forecast might come so Caleb & Ava could see some snow like I so much was hoping.... and like it was meant to be- it had snowed! Only an inch or so, but enough for the kids to run around in admire the big flakes falling from the sky that morning before we headed out back to Kentucky. When we got back that night, Caleb & Ava ran inside to find Santa had visited while we were gone, and left them each some things in their stockings, a letter and 1 more present for each of them. And then it was off to bed with a couple of their new toys and all the great memories from the past week.