Eve's Eden: Christmas in VA

It was Paxton's FIRST EVER Christmas. Super big deal.

A week before Christmas we hopped on a plane and headed up to my parents house in Northern VA. It was so special to be able to spend this special holiday with my parents and sister (who flew home from Germany!) and extra special to have my baby spend his first Christmas in the same house and in the same place that I celebrated my first Christmas.

Pax loved all of the lights, ornaments, wrapping paper, new toys and loved all of the people around him to love and spoil him!

Hand made hat made by Grandma C.

My favorite present under the tree, EVER!

When we got to VA of course Pax had a huge present that he got to open early. He got to enjoy his new jump-jump the whole week. He totally loves it.

My parents threw a fantastic wine and cheese holiday party. We all had a great time! We snagged a couple pictures in the few minutes right before guests started to arrive.

Paxton, the life of the party :)

I am not a crafty person, but I couldn't resist trying some Pinterest inspired crafts to document my little's first Christmas. We also made salt dough ornaments with his little hand prints and made a boat load of Christmas cookies.

Christmas Eve is full of traditions and the we always open our stocking presents and Dad writes up the most amazing, clever poems that are clues for our Stocking Quest and sends us around the house and outside looking for presents. It's incredible how creative he is!

Paxton opening his first stocking.

My sister, Mary, and Brad reading a clue.

Me searching the attic for presents. We were actually totally off on this one and were in the wrong attic. We had to go to the outside attic to get our prizes.

Christmas Eve includes other traditions like getting weepy while my Dad reads aloud The Christmas Memory. Mom makes one of her masterpiece dinners and we go to our neighbors house for champagne and dessert.

Christmas morning! I love Christmas morning and that time before we open all the presents and it's all over. The baby slept in until 9am or something amazing, so I was able to get up and have coffee and relax in front of the fire with my family for an hour or so, but I was so excited when he finally woke up and we could share our Christmas excitement with him.

First Christmas morning as a family of 3!

Paxton loved presents way more than I thought he would. He loved the paper and the ripping sound and of course loved playing with his mountain of new things!