!CHRISTMAS EVE!

Just before we left for Grandpa Joe and Grandma Shirlee's house Marissa helped Brian make homemade chocolate chip cookies for Santa. The pics are of the girls and Brian setting up Santa's plate including carrots for the reindeer and a mug of milk to wash it all down!

CHRISTMAS EVE: We first spent Christmas Eve w/Brian's family at his grandparents house. Having dinner and instead of the traditional white elephant gift exchange, we each placed $10.00 of lottery tickets into a basket and hoped on becoming a millionaire. Maybe next year we can up the anny and include gift cards. Grammie entertained us with Bingo - giving prizes to those who won, Marissa liked that.

LATER THAT EVENING ON CHRISTMAS EVE: Around 9:00 p.m. we headed over to my parents house (Vovo & Vova) for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration. Sierra lasted half way into her stocking pausing the festivities to put her to sleep. Marissa very excitedly dumped out her stocking and made it through 2 gifts from under the tree, later passing out on my lap. The rest of us stayed up drinking wine and opening presents until about 1:00am, later heading home to celebrate Christmas morning with the girls.

CHRISTMAS DAY: Usually the girls wake-up around 7:00am, but not this morning - groggy at 8:00am Brian had the video camera on telling the girls to hurry downstairs and see that Santa ate his cookies and the reindeer had eaten their carrots, leaving behind a ton of presents under the tree! I love seeing the girls so excited - we are so very blessed! I forgot to take pictures since Brian was video taping.

CHRISTMAS DAY part 2: Later that same day we enjoyed Christmas dinner at Vovo & Vavo's house and the girls finished opening their presents! ~ the girls dinner table ~ ~ Sierra & Marissa ready for their next trip to Disneyland ~ ~ Marissa's new Barbie roller skates ~ ~ Sierra opening my little ponies ~

The girls were thrilled w/all the Barbie's, games, books, and clothes especially Marissa and her big 'Christmas' gift - Gigantic Barbie House! and Sierra fights daily for Marissa's flip sofa, so she was super excited to get one for Christmas - - now I can sleep-in in peace, they no longer fight over the one flip sofa, although from time to time Sierra has already pushed her way under Marissa's blankets squeezing to fit in the old bed. What is up with that?? - Always antagonizing each other.

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The day after Christmas (friday): Grammie & Granpa came over to exchange gifts and have brunch. We were so excited to get the Wii! Marissa loves to play w/Brian & I, and although Sierra is unable to participate, she enjoys watching us play.