Mason's First Christmas

We had a fantastic first Christmas with Mason. Everyone always says that Christmas is more fun when you have kids. I have to say I truly agree.

We made cookies for Santa. During the picture process Mason swiped the cookie dough of the tray as fast as he could. Therefore his first sweet was Christmas cookie dough.

After cookies we took a bath, read the night before Christmas & tucked Mason in for the night so Santa could come.

Then we played Santa

 

The next morning I woke up early & threw the monkey bread in the oven then we opened presents while it baked

We all thoroughly enjoyed & ate WAY too much of our Monkey Bread. I tried a new recipe this year from the Pioneer Woman, I highly recommend it!

After breakfast we enjoyed some coffee, played in the wrapping paper and just savored the morning together as a family. 

Once Mason went down for his nap I made a Christmas dinner. We wanted to start a tradition for having lunch together. However delicious the spread was at lunch, it was A LOT of work! So we have decided that our new traditional Christmas lunch will be a simple love of ours, potato soup.

To end our evening we went over to Aunt Amy's house & played on Addy & Lilah's new karaoke machine. It was the perfect day!

Family Christmas

Our first Christmas with the family this year was with my dad's side of the family. We call it "Big Webster Christmas." We had it at my sister's house this year. It's always lots of fun! We had a delicious Christmas dinner. We also have a tradition where all of the grandchildren read the Christmas Story. My grandparent's started this tradition when we were younger & it is something that is so special to our family. After The Christmas Story we play dirty Santa & open stockings then we just take time to relax and spend time together as a family. This year we had all of the cousins do a book exchange. That was lots of fun too.

The day after Big Webster Christmas we always do Little Webster Christmas with my dad. This Christmas is always jam packed with fun activities. Decorating Christmas cookies, Christmas trivia, ping pong tournament, four square, you truly never know what game dad will have cooked up each year. Ever since I can remember before opening presents it has been tradition that we gather around the piano and sing Christmas carols. As my grandparent's are starting to get older we are realizing that our Big Webster Christmas may not be around much longer so my sister worked hard and typed up the Christmas Story for us to read as a family at little Webster Christmas. It is such an important tradition to our family & I am so glad we are carrying it on.

 

 One of my favorite traditions is that we go to my moms house and all spend the night together. Normally the kids get to play and watch a movie then after they are tucked in we adults play a game together, help get breakfast ready for the next morning and get the gifts under the tree. Then we wake up on Christmas Eve & have breakfast together & open presents. It's always a good time to stay the night at home with my siblings just like when we were younger.

 Our final Christmas was Christmas with my mom's side of the family. This Christmas is always so much fun too! It's very relaxed and laid back. Unfortunately there weren't a ton of pictures taken at this Christmas we just focused most on spending time together as a family. We ate lunch, Mason's particular favorite was Nana's sweet potato casserole. It's always mommy's favorite too, he definitely ate his weight that day in sweet potato casserole. Then we opened gifts & played the game where you have the presents wrapped up several times with lots of tape, saran wrap, etc and you have to wear oven mitts to open them. We had such a fun time!

Big thank you to my sister Amy for all of the pictures. She always goes above & beyond to capture memories on camera.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

For Thanksgiving this year we went to Georgia to see Blakes's family and friends. Many of them had not yet met Mason so it was an exciting time for us. Somebody gave us the idea to drive through the night with, that was the best idea ever! We did your normal bedtime routine but then put him to sleep in the car rather than in the crib. He slept the majority of the way & it was so easy!

Blake's best friends Casey & Katelyn were so sweet to let us stay with them, it was good because they have a baby girl a little older than Mason so the house was very kid friendly. It was so sweet to see these 2 guy introducing their babies to each other for the first time. 

Dinner with the Cartlidge and Norman family

 Shopping wore you and Morgan out

Driving around on Paw Paw's land

 Blake's first turkey leg

 Dinner with the Holloway Family & meeting Miss Brooks

 Special time with Paw Paw

After we spent several days in Lincolnton we drove 5 hours to Bainbridge to see Blake's mom & family.

These dogs sure didn't love Mason & being locked downstairs but mason thought they were the best of friends. 

 Thanksgiving Day

 Paw Paw changed Mason's diaper for $5.00 we all got a good laugh out of it & your diaper was put on backwards in the end. But he did it!

 Family picture....Mason was checked out of pictures by this time.

 Grandpa Stephen

Only a few more hours until we are home.....I'll take it from here guys! 

We had such a fun time, we hate that we all don't live closer to each other and get to see each other more often. While it was so much fun catching up and spending time with family, it was definitely a long trip with a baby and it was so good to be home & back in our routine.