We had a wonderful lead-up to Christmas this year. We visited the Botanic Garden of Lights, Rhema Lights, and the Route 66 Christmas Chute which got us really feeling the Christmas spirit. Ty's parents came the weekend before for our Christmas celebration together and watched the kids while I worked Monday and Tuesday (which was different than in years past). I lucked out and steered clear of the flu this year, but Carter got it right before his birthday. We had a wonderful pajama and party day on the last day of school before break. Running a January marathon put my biggest long run, my 20 mile long run workout, the weekend of Christmas. I didn't want to mess with running it on Christmas so I decided to get it in on Christmas Eve. We had a gnarly cold front come through, just like the rest of the country, and had 3 days of feels like temperatures in the negatives. The upside was that we got a little bit of snow and we got to go sledding. The downside was that I had to run my long run workout in 10 degrees/feels like 0, which was a first and did a number on my lungs even wearing a face covering over my mouth for the whole run. But now it's in the bank and it's smooth sailing from here until the marathon! I got home in time to shower and head to Bass Pro for our appointment to visit Santa. We found out while there that you didn't actually have to have an appointment, it just got you into a shorter line. Had we known that, we would have gone before the 24th. By the time I tried to make an appointment, they were all booked except for a few slots on Christmas Eve. Carter was consistently asking for a Nintendo Switch and then asked Santa for an XBox. Elise had been consistently asking for air dry clay, cheese, and cherry cordials. She asked Santa for an iPad. Such are the dangers of visiting Santa on Christmas Eve!
My parents arrived in the afternoon, I think around 3. Jeremy and Thomas came over shortly after they arrived. We had a delicious dinner, took a walk, played some games, and set things out for Santa. Carter and Elise were so excited. At Bass Pro, Santa told the kids they better go to bed early that night. At 8:02 Carter came in and said, "Carter told me to go to bed early tonight and it's already after 8!" We got the kids to bed and they seemed to go to sleep pretty quickly. Carter woke up around 10 as I was getting ready for bed and there was some setting up still going on. I'm not sure what he saw before getting Melatonin and going back to bed, but he didn't ask any questions so I didn't either.
Christmas Eve walk, Ty didn't want to go so stayed home and kept an eye on the food.
Dad struggling to hold all his cards and mess around on his phone at the same time.
Ready for Christmas morning.
Both the kids wrote letters to Santa this year.
The last question said "Do you have retired Santas". We weren't sure what it said and asked the next morning, luckily Santa knew!
Christmas morning the kids woke up at 6:53 which wasn't too bad considering how excited they were. Carter was thrilled with the Nintendo Switch. Elise was just super excited about everything. After they opened their Santa presents, they waited on Jeremy and Thomas to arrive. Thomas got to our house around 8:30. Elise was so excited to see him and show him what he had gotten. I wish I had gotten a video. We waited for quite a while on Jeremy and Elise started to get antsy so she decided to start sorting the presents. Mom and I helped her get them all organized and it was quite a bit of fun. Jeremy came over close to noon and the kids opened their presents. The funniest thing was that mom accidentally switched the iPads she got for the kids when she wrapped them. Elise opened an iPad and mom and dad told her to turn it over and look on the back because it was personalized. Elise read Carter's name on the back and just turned to pass it to him. I'm not sure if she thought she wasn't getting one or if she figured she was also getting one too, but she was so sweet to just pass it over. I again won the guessing game when the adults opened presents.
Playing the Nintendo Switch while waiting on Jeremy.
Dad caught a little nap as we played.
Elise loves the tradition of sitting in her Oma's lap to open presents.
Elise's face when I opened a huge box of cherry cordials.
That afternoon Thomas, Jeremy, dad, and I all ran together. Dad ran 3 miles and it wasn't until after our run that we found out the longest he'd gone since having Covid was 1.5 miles. He rocked it though! There was lots of playing with new toys, especially the Nintendo Switch and iPads. We played more games that evening and Ty tried out his air fryer. Last year I got him a flattop grill which was delivered right before he came home for lunch in just it's regular box, so he knew what he was getting. This year his air fryer was delivered while he was home sick with Covid and also came in the regular box, so he again knew what he got from me! The upside of that was that he planned ahead and got ingredients for things he wanted to try in the air fryer. It was a wonderful Christmas and we are looking forward to the new year! Read last year's Christmas post here, 2020 here, 2019 here, 2018 here, 2017 here, 2016 here, 2015 here, 2014 here, and 2013 here.
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