Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning - 2025

***This is the second blog post uploaded today so if you haven't seen the prior post yet ("Our New Home, Christmas Band Concert, Lyza's 14th Birthday, and It's Beginning to Look a Little Like Christmas), check it out here first***

It was fun finding these two hanging out in the basement on Christmas Eve morning

We couldn't decide what we should have for breakfast on Christmas (breakfast casserole or cinnamon rolls) so we had cinnamon rolls Christmas Eve morning and breakfast casserole the next day

We worked on some puzzles

And did some reading

Nixon was so helpful preparing food

That afternoon we played some fun minute to win it games together

This one you had to blow out as many candles as possible while saying "Merry Christmas"

We also played a game where you had to try and march in place while blindfolded and listening to music

And then a ring toss game

We also played a game where you had to get a ball in the square using only air from swinging a piece of paper

Mason was happy to finish this puzzle

We had a delicious fondue dinner for Christmas Eve

After dinner the kids got to open up the gifts they bought for each other (one of the best parts of Christmas)

Then we watched the Littlest Angel together

Nixon got his puzzle finished

All ready for the excitement in the morning

If you don't remember what happened last year, Mason and Henry both couldn't sleep the night before Christmas so Kim and I also didn't sleep. It was really rough. This year we closed off the stairs to get downstairs (removing the ability to go check the tree and also the associated anxiety) and we all slept much better.

We needed to wait for Lyza to wake up

Rise and Shine!

They were ready to go...

They loved checking their boots

Then it was time for Santa gifts

This is the song that was preloaded on Nixon's mp3 player (an AI created song about him). Listen to the lyrics to see how personalized they are.

The kids liked the gifts they got

Lyza got a ticket to a candle light concert of Coldplay and Imaging Dragons music

A huge Lego set

I got a boot drier

New Crocs

New basketball shoes

The kids were all very excited about an air fryer

Basketball shoes

And more basketball shoes

And still more basketball shoes

Here's a little video to see what it was like opening gifts with us

Then it was time for the surprise family gift...this is what happened

Some of the photos of the surprise gift opening

We had a good Christmas morning together

Showing off the new shoes

I can't wait to share our San Diego trip with you!