Livin' Life Layton Style: Christmas 2014

Christmas is simply magical when you can appreciate it through the eyes of your own children. The sweetness of Adeline's first Christmas and the fact that Cooper definitely understands it all now, really made this year special. Here is what Cooper said he wanted from Santa this year. (password: Cooper) I am not sure if he is implying that Santa should take his sister?? ;)

I love traditions. I love the way they make you feel connected to family and friends. Chris's mom, Jeanne, has maintained a sweet tradition that I am so happy to be a part of. Every year she has let her kids select a Hallmark ornament. So for every year of their lives each of her three kids has a Hallmark ornament. Jeanne included me in this tradition once I joined the family. She has also made sure to buy us ornaments to celebrate big life events like a new home or getting married. Every year when we pull out the Christmas decorations, Chris carefully unboxes each ornament and lines them up in chronological order. His collection and then mine, in two straight lines. He accounts for all the years from 1982 to the present before he places them on the tree. Its quite adorable. I have watched him do this every single year since we bought our first house in 2007.

Now, she has continued this tradition with our kids, her grand babies. In years to come, I know I will find Cooper and Chris right there together lining up their ornaments'. Here is Cooper receiving his latest ornament from Nana (she sent it over from Spokane, so Chris filled in as the gift deliverer).

Here is what our celebration looked like this year.

Chris and Cooper putting our tree together. I never thought that my children would think that a Christmas tree comes from a box, but alas, we have caved to the ease of an artificial (pre-lit!) evergreen.

Cooper and Chloe helped Chris hang the outside Christmas lights. For about three seconds.

We hosted our PEPS Christmas party. There was a little craft for the kids, a gift exchange for the moms and a book exchange for the toddlers.

Just a little glimpse at what the house looked like mid-party :)

Our newest addition to the PEPS group, Grace (November 2014).

Conner (May 2014) and Adeline (July 2014)

I caught one of Cooper's sweet moments on camera.

Opening up their new books!

Sugar cookies with my boy

Immediately after this celebration, both kids got sick for two weeks. We ventured out to look at Christmas lights. Cooper loved it! He wanted to get out and touch them. It was a dumping buckets, but I got out with him so he could see the singing reindeer up close. (on the left, in the photo) This was one of those houses that has the lights synched up to Christmas music. They were pretty cool. The home owners were also collecting food for the local food bank from all the people coming to check out their house. In return, they gave a great show, hot cocoa and a sweet treat. :) Great idea, I say.

Everyone was well enough to travel East to visit the grandparents for Christmas. We did have to switch up plans a bit to avoid exposing baby Ben (just two months old) to the snotty noses and hacking coughs. Here is what our Christmas looked like in Spokane.