catching up christmas

We had a great Christmas! It was different from past year's - this was my first Christmas without any of my family around. But K and I and the kiddies made it fun on our own anyway, and got to celebrate with good friends! I feel very lucky to have such great friends already in our new city {at this time last year, when us moving was still just something we were talking about, I was sure I would never make any new friends, and I would be homesick...but I am happy to say, that is not the case}!

After seeing what Santa had left in our stockings, we opened gifts slowly {well, as slowly as these two know how to be...}

Then Jill & Ian and their kiddies came over for a visit, and had lunch and Jill's homemade soup with us. The kiddies got a chance to play with some new toys, and burn off some energy. I was enjoying my Mimosa and it was all good, until someone looked over and saw Miss S playing with one of R's new craft sets. I heard "We're painting the wall"...

That is Miss S, after Ian removed her from my family room, where she sat with Baby G painting the wall, carpet and everything near her, with R's new paints {K immediately grabbed the carpet cleaner and started scrubbing - I grabbed my camera and started snapping, because it is funny now that I look back on it}. I don't even know how it happened, we were in the same room...I really don't know. Good times!

Jill & family left to go to their Christmas dinner, and we did a quick wardrobe change, a 'ten-second tidy' and started preparing our dinner {OK, K started dinner - he loves to cook a turkey. I had another Mimosa}!

Renee, Mark & C joined us in the afternoon and for dinner. The kids played some more, and did some sledding outside, and we had a great time {all the paint was safely tucked in the craft cupboard}. The kids really enjoyed R's new remote control helicopter {don't worry - we did tell Miss S to not play on the stairs...right after this photo was taken}...

Merry Christmas!