There's no place like Home for the Holidays

This year, we stayed in Moraga for the Holidays.  I usually feel pressured to either travel or host a big Christmas dinner - growing up, Christmas was such a big family event that it felt wrong to just let it quietly pass.  I don't know if it's the fact that we're a family of 5 now (so 'quiet' is not a part of my vocabulary) or that our house isn't under construction, but a little Christmas at home felt merry and bright this year!  

A couple weeks before Christmas, I did host a little Mother/Daughter Holiday Tea.  I think that and Gwen's birthday party the week before gave me my fill of hosting parties!

On Christmas Eve, I took Gwen and Whitney to Christmas Eve service at MVPC.  During the first song (I think it may have been Hark the Angles), we were standing up singing as the minister and his family entered, walking down the aisle.  Whitney broke loose and started dancing and jumping up and down in the aisle, making it all the way to the alter.  It was a family service, yet, little Whitney seemed to be the only child totally out of control.  People were filming her on their iPhones and the minister stopped to tell me "She just made my Christmas".  That made me a little less horrified but needless to say, we didn't last until the end.

The girls at Xmas Eve service. 

Xmas PJs from Aunt Jennifer

On Christmas morning, it was present time!  

Gwen opening her Aurora mermaid, picked out by Whitney

Paige's first Christmas!

My card from Whitney

Reading Gwen's new book

Whitney loves Band-Aids!

Between Xmas and New Years, Dave and Louisa visited.  The girls loved hanging out with their cousins!  Other than our big day trip to Tahoe, the kids otherwise did not leave the house.  Whitney and Henry were little buddies, building elaborate MagnaTile structures.  The 4 older kids spent a lot of time playing Family, play-dough, drawing pictures for each other, wreaking havoc in my office (I'm down one tripod) and holding Paige.

And of course, we decorated Christmas cookies, a Christmas tradition.  We didn't get around to these until New Years Eve (sorry Santa).

I was even content to spend a lazy New Years at home, but a casual get-together at the Gafni's for a kid-friendly NYE celebration was fun too!

Watching the ball drop

Paige's first New Year!

What a fun end to the Holidays!  Oh wait, it's only Tuesday and we still have the rest of the week off school...