So This is Christmas!

And what a weekend it was! We spent Christmas Even with my family, which is always fun. This year, Derek and Sierra were with us so it was fun to have little kids around, they make everything so much fun! Love to watch them get so excited about their gifts. My Mom always makes "Hot Dego's" Which is an amazing italian sandwhich with sauce and marinara. She also makes italian sausage and meatballs. YUM-MY! There is always an assortment of food laying around, though the kids for some reason all gravitate toward the cookie table :)

Side note: My Mom is an amazing baker, as my Grandparents/parents owned a bakery and she worked in it for years when she was growing up. She makes and decorates the best cookies. I somehow missed that gene, and have perfected the art of burning and forgetting ingredients in my baking masterpieces. Fun fact - my parents use to also own a Winchell's back in the 80's. Anyway, I digress.

Christmas Day - Christmas Day was a WHIRLWIND of excitement. First we opened presents from Santa and each other at our house, then went to Rose and Jer's (Matt's parents) for MORE presents and a very yummy Christmas lunch. (Turkey with crab stuffing? YUM)

We spent time with some of Matt's family who came to lunch and had a good time visiting with everyone. We were spoiled by Matt's parents and received some very nice gifts!

Later in the afternoon, we went back to my parents and opened even more gifts there! Phew! We finally made it home after a very fun and long day, and started tackling the organizing and putting away all of our fun new gifts!

I have never seen so many toys in one place. Matt tackled upstairs and I tackled the playroom. Not sure how that worked out. An hour and a half, 3 full garbage bags of packaging, boxes and twist ties, we got all of our new toys organized, played with and put away.

Matt, who was a pretty good boy this year, got a PS3 from me, so he has been playing that tonight and having a lot of fun.
The highlights of the kids presents were:
Kitchen set - fake food - shopping cart and a really cute blender with pretend ice that "blends" for Hallie, along with dolls, Minnie Mouse toys and some new cars (she loves cars right now)
Adam received more train sets, which he loves, along with a really cool remote control car and helicopter, games, books, and track expansions so we can make the biggest railroad track ever!