The Kanes: It's the Most Wonderful Day of the Year!!!!

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas! The Kane family anxiously awaited the arrival of Christmas. It is my absolute favorite holiday and one of my favorite days of the entire year (I hope to pass the excitement on to Camryn as her dad certainly doesn't love it as much as I do, but did get more into the spirit this year :). Everything was different for Christmas this year....it's such a strange feeling when you start a family of your own and all the traditions you once knew have to and do change. It's definitely not a bad thing....just different. For the first time in what seems like forever my mom had to work on Christmas Eve. :( We hated missing her at my aunt's and this meant our holiday traditions were impacted significantly. In the past Chris and I have always opened up our presents at home and then headed down early for breakfast with my family. My dad has been making his signature breakfast on Christmas morning for as long as I can remember....biscuit and gravy, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon....pure deliciousness :) Needless to say since my mom worked the night before we did not have breakfast at mom and dad's that morning. Instead Chris, Camryn and I woke up on our own, gave Camryn her milk and headed out to the living room for some Santa excitement! Camryn was in awe when she turned the corner. She headed straight to the Mega Blocks table and took a seat.

Taking it all in...

Lovin' the Mega Blocks!

It was actually hard to get her away from it...until she spotted the shopping cart. :)

Watch out everyone....she does love to run into Brohdi with it :)

Opening presents with dad

And a few more with mom :)

While Camryn was preoccupied with her blocks and cart Chris decided to give me my gifts. I really don't want to focus too much on the actual gift, but the thought Chris put into it. He lead me on a scavenger hunt (which he and Camryn had worked on earlier in the week) in order to find my present. I loved the thought he put into that.....the last clue of my scavenger hunt was a picture of my C Monkey holding a present. When I opened it I discovered my new camera...I immediately shook my head no and told him to take it back (we are trying to buy a house for crying out loud!). He just looked at me in my frenzy of telling him no and told me of anyone he knew I deserved this more than anything. In addition to my camera Chris gave me two more incredibly thoughtful DIY gifts.....it absolutely melted my heart! My Chris is not one to share or express his emotions often and all the hard work he put into making my day just melted my heart. I am truly a lucky girl! :)

After a few more gifts the three of us (mainly Camryn) took a break from opening presents to start our very first tradition of a family of three....eating Krispy Kreme for breakfast! I LOVE Krispy Kreme, but don't allow myself to stop and eat them very often. Chris suggested that we start a new tradition and it was pure heaven. It was such a fabulous feeling not feeling guilty while eating something I enjoy so very much. I also loved that we started something that is only "ours!"

Around 11:30 we packed everything and everyone (dogs included) up and headed down to start Christmas with our families. We dropped the dogs off at mom and dad's and headed to Chris' parents to eat lunch and have Christmas there. As we were unloading we saw the Lewis-Lawrence family leaving her grandparent's house. A little piece of Camryn and I were so excited to say goodbye to Chrissie one last time before she leaves for Florida on Monday. I think C made her day because when I took Cammie from her she just reached out and cried for her.....Aunt Chrissie definitely needs to know that C loves her so very much! After saying good-bye we headed inside to visit with Grandma, Grandpa, Nate, Ryan, Maggie, Aunt Vickie, Uncle Ron and Great Grandma and Grandpa Kane. C ate a great lunch and then went into I really need a nap, but I'm not going to take one with all the excitement going on mode. Although she was really, really good, Chris and I could both tell she was so sleepy. She would pick up her blanket, come to you, but then would be afraid she was going to miss something and get right back down again. She wouldn't really open her presents (I think we were getting into present overload at this point), but did play with them, once they were open and/or assembled. It was nice having an opportunity to exchange gifts, visit and not feel rushed before packing up again and heading to Nana and Pop's.

Something is just SOOO funny to her :)

She LOVES that musical stocking that grandma picked out for her! This year she knows how to make it sing!

Daddy and C...still playing with the stocking

One of her newest, most FAVORITE toys....she LOVES the vaccuum! She vaccuums everything! Thanks for finding the perfect one grandma!

Our last stop of the day was Nana and Pop's. Pop did not disappoint as we ended up eating breakfast for dinner. Chris and I eat breakfast for dinner every once and a while so that sure didn't bother me. :) I also didn't have to miss an opportunity to eat dad's breakfast....my husband is an amazing cook, but there is nothing like comfort food that you have grown up on. :) After eating we knew we were close to losing C...it was after 5:00 and she had yet to have a nap all day so we decided to head downstairs for the big event. (Poor Nick had to wait ALL DAY to open his presents, since we had to wait for mom to wake up and we came there last....he was a great sport about it though! :) Again, Camryn was in present overload and refused to open anything. Pop pointed out her big present right away and although she played and enjoyed it, she climbed in Chris' lap about 15 minutes later and was out. Poor baby....the day was just too much! :) So thankful for a day when all 6 of us (plus Adrianne) could get together, laugh and remember how much we love each other. As we packed up the car and then rearranged it to get everything and everyone home I reflected on just how blessed we truly are. The season is not about receiving presents, and can be very chaotic and sometimes even a little stressful, but I truly love the full feeling it brings to my heart. I am always hopeful that that feeling will continue all year long. We are so very blessed and could not want for anything more! :)