Celebrating with friends

We have an annual Christmas party with my friends from high school. This group has transformed and grown over the years and now we are outnumbered by the kids with 15 kids in the groups. 

15 crying kids. 

It is great to spend time with good friends. 

Christmas Dinner 2013

We hosted Christmas dinner. It is nice to get together.

Lil J is the only little kid on this side of the family and is pretty much spoiled, I mean showered with attention and presents.

I love how the boys love Lil J so much. We have some pretty awesome cousins.

Christmas morning 2013

We wake up a bit late Christmas morning considering that we don't get home from Christmas Eve until after 2 in the morning. But Santa still comes over after we have gone to bed.

Lil J had asked why Santa didn't leave our presents by the tree. I guess he heard this year and instead of leaving them near the stockings he put them by the tree. 

Christmas Eve 2013

We celebrate Christmas Eve with my Filipino family. Our tradition has always been to open presents at midnight.

I love how the big cousin get into coloring with Lil J!

"I love Santa Claus"

Lil J explains her artwork and tells a Santa story.

2013-12 Santa drawing. An explanation from Sherylle White on Vimeo.

Our special gift

Lil J made a beautiful gifts for us at school. She was very excited to give it is. We absolutely love it. 

I love that she wrote the card. So awesome. 

Her writing just gets better and better everyday. It is so amazing and beautiful to see. 

O Christmas Tree: Better late than never

The Saturday before Christmas, just 4 days before Christmas, we got our Christmas tree. We were a bit late this year. But it was such a busy time just enjoying the holiday season. We headed to Home Depot and definitely didn't have to deal with any crowds.

Lil J got to make an ornament while there. 

There weren't many trees left but the first one we looked at was a great one. It was our perfect tree. 

Christmas fun time

We head to the OC to enjoy some Christmas festivities at our cousin's barber shop. The shopping center goes all out and it is a lot of fun with lots of activities. 

With Matt and Corey. 

Building a Lego house for Santa's village. 

Riding a pony. 

Petting some animals. 

Seeing Santa. 

Watching the tree lighting ceremony. 

Dinner with the boys. 

Most Wonderful time of the year

Christmas and Devember seemed to creep right up on us. Before I knew it there was so much to do. Luckily grandma had an idea for to make cards for all of Lil J's classmates. 

The cards they made. All her little friends loved them. We got so many compliments on them. It's nice having a creative grandma who also is a retired teacher. She knows all the tricks of the trade. 

Grandma also bought a little lot to build a gingerbread house. They started it and then we brought it home and finished it. Lil J did a nice job at designing and decorating. 

We baked some gingerbread as gifts for teachers, coworkers, and friends. 

We went to see the Christmas lights in Alta Loma. Dani came along with us for the ride which was a ton of fun. This year, Lil J really enjoyed them. 

Lil J saw a Nativity scene at one house and said, "hey look it's a Jesus set-up."  :/ she has her own little set-up as she calls it and even princesses (on far right) come to see baby Jesus. 

Decorating cookies with Lola. 

Looks like she had more frosting in her tummy than on the cookies. 

We love getting ready for Christmas. It is much fun. Even with all the busy stuff surrounding this time of the year it is so much fun to see it all through the eyes of a child. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. Exhausting but wonderful.