Christmas with the Koenig's!

 So when we decided to travel home to celebrate Christmas we tried to figure out the best time to do it. When we do come to NC for the holidays we always come on the actual holiday but this time, after looking at Christopher's work schedule, we decided that the beginning of the month would be the best time. It actually worked out really well, I think. Instead of trying to squeeze in both sides of our family into one or two days, each side had their own couple of days of dedicated Christmas celebrations.

We decorated their Christmas trees, watched movies, spent the night all together, and woke up the next morning and opened presents like it was Christmas morning, and then cooked a full Christmas spread for that afternoon! We absolutely loved doing it like this. There was no running between houses or trying to squeeze everyone in in such a short amount of time. It was relaxed and I felt like we could all just enjoy being together and celebrating! I'm so thankful that everyone was so accommodating and willing to celebrate early with us!

Our "Christmas Eve" dinner!

The girls had a tea party before bed!

Even Ryan got in on the tea action!

These goofballs in their plaid shirts!

The next morning we woke up and opened gifts! 

These three are the cutest!!! Stella-7, Ryan-almost 2, Ellory-4 (just a few days shy from being 5)

Ryan loves tools and putting things together (and taking them apart)

And then a "snow" ball fight ensued! 

After the gifts were opened Anna brought the angel for the tree out and the boys volunteered to put her on top... I wish I'd taken a video because it was hilarious! She wouldn't stay on and at one point Matt very calmly said, "Hey man... my goobers are on your neck.......... you feel 'em?" Carly and I absolutely lost it laughing! 

This is how Uncle Matt wrangles the kids for lunch! 

After lunch candy canes...

With my girl

And a little wrestling... 

That night we decorated sugar cookies which is a Mimi tradition! 

It won't be much longer and her baby cousin will be picking her up...haha!

That night we headed to bed with a snowy forecast ahead of us... which the grown ups totally didn't believe because it never snows in North Carolina in December. And if it does, it's a dusting and nothing to worry about. Stella, however, was convinced that Santa got her letter asking for snow and that he was going to come through for her....

And she was right! We woke up the next morning absolutely covered in snow with the sky continuing to pour it out!

Stella was THRILLED!!! 

We were supposed to head to the Wofford house that morning to do our Christmas celebrations with them the next couple of days. We had toyed with the idea of leaving the night before but we really didn't think it would snow as much as it did. Steve was amazing though and loaded us up in the truck and drove us over. Everything was blanketed in about a foot of snow! Which, yes, isn't that much... but to us North Carolinians not in the mountains? It's a TON!

We made it to the Wofford house (and Steve made it back home) just fine. The driveway was just a hill of snow!