Only 343 days...

...till Christmas.

I can't even begin to tell how much I loved loved loved Christmas this year and already can't wait for our Christmases to come.

We celebrated all season long!!!!

We went to have breakfast with Santa at church.

We were visited by St. Nicholas.

We counted down the days until the "baby Jesus is born" on our advent calendar.

We went to the library for another visit to see Santa.  I stopped on visits to Santa.  I figure at the rate we were going (first visit: all smiles; second visit: one smiles and one screams), we would wind up with two really unhappy kiddos.  But look.  Look at the magic in Kirby's eyes.  Honestly.

We made a gingerbread house.  Well, we attempted to make one.  Keith gave it his best best shot, but the roof was cracked in four places so we couldn't construct it.

...But that didn't stop us from decorating.

We wrote letters to Santa.

We took a ton of pics (you know...trying to find that perfect one!)

We acted silly.

We wore Christmas jammies.

We (ahhhhm, Kirby) drank eggnogg.  LOTS of eggnog.

And we watched tons of Christmas movies.  Kirby's favorites were Polar Express (obsessed with it.  We play it, read it, and watch it), Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and Mickey's Christmas Carol.

And that was all before Christmas Eve and Day!!!!

Keith didn't have the week of Christmas off this year, but we were headed home the following week to celebrate with the families.  His schedule was pretty tight with long hours at the hospital, but it did allow for him to have off Christmas Day entirely.  Thank goodness, and he was a trouper.  Many would have rushed home and crashed for hours and hours after his time at the hospital, but he catnapped here and there and made it to mass and for decorating cookies and all the other fun with the kids.  Thanks, babe, for taking one for the team and helping make my visions of our Christmas come alive despite being soooo tired.

We played with toys and ate great food and drank some yummy poinsettias (our new favorite cocktail!).  And we ended the day with our Indiana family at the Kestner's for dinner and fun.  It was a great great Christmas.

On a different note.  There are many reasons I love my husband.  One of those many reasons is his willingness to help others.  Our trip back home on New Year's Day (with a full workday to follow, I might add) was made even longer as he helped a couple fix their car.  His patience and compassion for other people warms my heart.