Christmas Day

Shaye's first Christmas was so special. To be realistic, it was as special as Christmas is every year but we received the best gift of all - our daughter. Ryan and I woke up in the morning and opened each others gifts and stockings while Shaye swung in her swing watching the fun. We had eggs benedict which is our holiday tradition and joined my parents at the beautiful new church we attend. We spent the afternoon at my parents' with Kara and Matt since they were here for the weekend. We traditionally all opened gifts and got the house ready for dinner. The rest of the extended family all showed up, which was a huge group (about 20 total). This was a bit overwhelming (and noisy) for Shaye. The Whartons (my uncle, aunt and cousins) had yet to meet Shaye so it was exciting to share her. After dinner, we exchanged White Elephant gifts and although we ended up with a flashlight set and a road map, it was great fun. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for hosting a terrific holiday dinner!