A Happy & {Grateful} Christmas...

{Please click directly on photos for enlarged view}

I should preface this by saying that Brayden was ALL the fun we had anticipated he would be this Christmas.  We prepped him prior to Christmas about Santa Claus, and continued to ask and probe him about what he wanted from Santa.  He seemed clueless about all of it at times, as we naturally expected from our little two year old.  We pressed ahead anyway ;-)

We told him Santa would bring him presents if he was a good boy, and all that Christmas jive.  A few times he told me he wanted "boots and dora" known better to Bray as "Boots and Bora"...but that is beside the point.  That was his normal response to us after he got used to the questions about what he wanted. 

Moving on...

Following my family tradition {and probably a million others tradition as well}...I did not put ANY gifts under the tree until after Bray was fast asleep.  Naturally the next morning...he was more than impressed with all the newfound things under the tree.  Yes, I know he did not know Santa actually brought them to him, but I DO know he KNEW they were NOT there the night before when he went to bed!

 I appreciate those little things-yes I do!

Christmas morning his first reaction was pure curiosity.  Then he looked at us and said "wow....presents!"  {woot woot!}  Yes baby-presents!!!  He was so excited unwrapping his toys, playing, pointing, giggling, stomping and unwrapping some more.  It took him over two hours to navigate through it all.  That was fine with us though.  We relished in the simple moment of happiness he was having.  We relished in our family time in our own home again.  We just sucked it all in.  It was really nice. 

He recieved some really neat gifts from everyone in our families.  Everyone knows him so well and picked out just the perfect gifts for him.  Thank you.

He spent much of his time lining up and categorizing his gifts.  He likes to do this.  He is quite good at it.  He is soooo type A and obsessive compulsive...poor kid.  He had a blast though. ;-)

He also lined up, and played with all of the bows from the presents.  Here he is as we dropped bows on him while telling him it was raining bows.

One very special gift was his Christmas ornament from Grandma Strong.  She always gets an ornament for each of her 7 Grandbabies every Christmas...and this year sent Brayden a neat little ornament that she said she HAD to get because it was so perfect for him, {among the many other awesome gifts she sent}...  A little drum, with metal drumsticks.  Here is a photo of Brayden and Daddy hanging it on the tree Christmas morning.  Beautiful.

I should mention that these jammies were C/o Grandma as well as the plaid little chair in the background too ;-)  Thank you Mom he loved everything! {so did we}.

It was a beautiful Christmas.  We spent time with family and friends, and felt very blessed, and loved.  What more can you ask for?

Well....perhaps some quiet in the near future... but since he recieved these for Christmas...I don't know that we will get that anytime soon. ;-)

He jammed out for hours Christmas Day, and has continued to do so.  This coupled with his guitar, microphone, tamborines, flute, and many other musical instruments he was given this year...it is going to be QUITE noisy around this Snow house.  That's okay though because that means we have the joy of seeing him react like this everyday...and who could'nt LOVE that?

Hope you and yours had a great Christmas, and that you have an even better New year! 

-The Snow Family.