How We Spent Our Christmas Vacation - Part 2 (4/365)

Christmas Eve we spent, as usual, with Matt's family. This year we decided NOT to do midnight mass (turns out that was a WONDERFUL idea) and opted for the 7pm mass instead. Thankfully both girls were very well behaved and that Izzy didn't need to eat or poop while we were there as we absentmindedly forgot to bring the diaper bag to church (I blame Matt for I was already in ornament making mode).

When we got back to the house the girls went to bed with Matt (more on this later) and I went to work on my masterpiece that was my ornament this year. You see, it's a Bathje tradition to secretly make an ornament from items you have around the house, then wrap it up and don't include a tag. Then on Christmas we do a grab and one by one we open the ornaments and try to guess who made what. It's actually a fabulous tradition that I hope we all carry on in the coming years. As per usual, I waited until Christmas Eve to make mine, except this year it took me a lot longer than I had anticipated, so I ended up not so secretly making mine in the living room at my in-laws until about 12:15am Christmas morning. Oh well, it was definitely worth all the effort. So much so that I think I may just make another one for myself. I'll have to have Andy, my soon to be brother-in-law, take a picture of it for me as I forgot to snap one before I wrapped it. Oh, and Andy, if you're reading this, NO MORE GIFT CARDS!! If there is another Duncan Donuts gift card masquerading as an ornament next year you're getting it back! :)

ANYWAY, I forgot to mention the funniest part about Christmas Eve this year. Annie let Alice run around the house with her camera and out of the blue Alice just started talking about how she had to take pictures for Aunt Rose (my Aunt on my Mom's side) and that Aunt Rosie has to have a picture of XYZ, etc. Well being the great Aunt that SHE is, Annie forwarded me all the little gems Alice took that night and now I'm sharing them with you. Please enjoy the 30ish pics from a 3 year old's perspective. Click to enlarge.