This post is a wee bit on the late side (whoops!) but I still want to share a little about Jameson’s first Christmas before we head into the new year. We’re really so blessed to have our immediate families (mine and Alex’s) within 20 minutes of our apartment and extra blessed that our families actually get along! In fact, my parents used to double date with Alex’s parents before the two of us even met. It makes the holidays so much easier and so much less stressful when everyone genuinely likes each other and would actually prefer to gather together rather than be apart. Alex and I never really have to split our time or choose between Jameson’s two sets of grandparents and for that I am very thankful.
Christmas for the first time with Jameson was so much fun. Really all these “firsts” with Jameson are so much fun! I absolutely love getting to incorporate my son into our family traditions and imagining how someday he’ll tell his future wife and kids about his favorite memories. We went over to my parents’ house early Christmas morning in our pj’s and spent the morning following one of my family’s favorite Christmas traditions…we all grab some coffee and blankets and our Bibles and pile into my parents’ big bed to read about the birth of Jesus from Matthew 2 and Luke 1 & 2. Each of us reads a couple of verses, we talk about it for a few minutes, and then we go around the room and take turns praying aloud. My parents started doing this with me and my sisters when we were young as a way to help us center our hearts on the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place before we all rush out to the presents, and since then it’s become one of my favorite things we do as a family.
Afterwards we all headed to get some breakfast and then snuggled up around the tree on blankets to open up the gifts. As expected, the babies were super psyched about the wrapping paper and only mildly interested in their new toys haha.
We spent the morning at my parents’ house just hanging out and trying out the toys and then we said goodbye to my mom, who had a flight to Pennsylvania that afternoon for my Grandma’s 80th birthday (which was the following day). But before she left, she and my dad gave my little sister Christina the BEST Christmas surprise… her first trip to Disneyland! 🙂
Alex and I left a little early to spend some time with his parents before everyone else got there and we got wayyy spoiled with gifts from them. Besides the gifts they gave to just Alex and me (including a brand new Keurig coffee maker that we’ve been love love loving), Jameson got a buttload of adorable new outfits, an awesome walker/play center that will be great when he’s a little bigger, and this super cool toddler bike that converts from having a handle that the parents can push to being a regular tricycle for when he’s independent. I can’t wait to watch him play with it!
Later on Steph and Colby came with Madelyn and Christina, and my dad came by after dropping my mom at the airport. We had a delicious roast and a ham for dinner with lots of yummy food on the side and some pie for dessert. Mmm so good! I only took a few pictures from the Iwanski’s house, but here are my favorites…
It was such a wonderful Christmas and even though I know Jameson won’t remember it down the road, I always will. I’m so thankful that my Savior came into the world and died so that I can live. I’m thankful for the family we got to spend the day celebrating with and for the memories that we made.
And, now that Jameson has been having a rough time sleeping at night all of the sudden, I’m also thankful for that Keurig coffee maker haha. 😉 I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you have a wonderful New Year!
xoxo J.
Milk with a Meal 