Juliet's First Christmas

Juliet's first Christmas was pretty wonderful for our little family.  We really wanted to spend the holiday enjoying our time together, so we made it our priority to take things slowly and enjoy each thing we did.

On Christmas Eve eve, Ray and I loaded up Juliet, Ninja, and Filch, and we went to look at Christmas lights.  Going to Dorothy B. Oven park to look at lights is something we started doing our first Christmas with Filch.  Over the years, we've started including Ninja, and now, of course, Juliet.  After we drive through DBO, we typically drive through some neighborhoods that can be counted on for good (and/or tacky) Christmas decorations.  It was fairly cold that night, so we bundled Juliet up before putting her in her car seat.

All bundled up in her cute Christmas hat

With Dad in front of the Christmas tree

Ray went to take some pictures of me with Juliet in front of the tree, and she promptly spit up all over herself, all over me, and all over the floor.  It was simultaneously gross and impressive.

Better shot of her cute hat

We hosted my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and grandmother for an afternoon of visiting and munching on food on Christmas Eve.  I pulled out our wedding china and Granny Squeaky's crystal, and Ray fried a turkey using the big propane cooker he got for his birthday.  We really enjoyed hosting family for a holiday, and it felt sort of like this solidification of my adulthood.  I have a husband, a child, and I've hosted a Christmas gathering and used china and crystal.  I'm not sure what else you do as a grown-up! ;)

Juliet in the rocking chair my parents gave to her (with cushions made by my mom and grandmother)

After hosting my family, we went to Christmas Eve service at John Wesley United Methodist Church.  Juliet was fantastic during the service and didn't fuss a bit.  She did talk a little to whomever she thought was listening, but she was mostly quiet.

We spent Christmas Day at our house, just the three of us (okay, five if you count Ninja and Filch).  It was so nice to get up and have a nice breakfast together, open presents at a leisurely pace, and just really focus on enjoying our many blessings this Christmas.  Christmas night, we went to Ray's parents and had dinner with them and Ray's sister and her family. 

I have to say I think it was my most favorite Christmas ever.  I spent the entire time thinking about how happy and blessed I was the whole time.