Christmas 2013

So I survived my first Christmas away from my parents.  Pretty impressive to go 40 years spending every holiday with them...especially given that for the past 13 of those years Jeff and I have also been spending the holidays together.  Well Mom and Dad, I definitely missed you, but we still had a really nice few days.  We hosted Christmas Eve dinner at our house this year.  Our friends Suellen, John, and Emily joined us.  We ate like kings: Jeff made macadamia encrusted steelhead and mashed potatoes, John and Suellen whipped up some fabulous brussel sprouts, and Emily brought some delicious dips and an amazing coconut lemon cake.  It's a good thing we don't eat like this every day.  

After dinner we went out to the fire pit where Jeff read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to Quinn.  He loved it!

Quinn must have been a VERY good boy this year, because Santa was very good to him.  After running out to the livingroom to see if Santa had come he rushed back into our bedroom super excited exclaiming, "He came, he came, come and see, come and see what he brought me!!"  As he opened his gifts he kept repeating what a lucky boy he was.  He seemed to love everything, which was a pleasant surprise!  

For Christmas dinner we wandered up north to Wildomar to join the Sheas along with Kelly and Lee and her parents.  We spent a good part of the afternoon playing with the boys and then had a lovely dinner of homemade manicotti, meatballs and sausage.  Somehow I managed to not take many photos while we were there, but managed to get a few shots of the boys enjoying their Christmas gifts.  

Kellan with his new ball

Kyan and Quinn on a scooter ride!

Jeff with Lee, his father-in-law, and John 

Cannot resist taking the opportunity to play with lights and slow shutter speeds!

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!!