This Christmas...the longest post ever!

The hustle and bustle of the season is over and it leaves me a little sad.  This Christmas was the Best Christmas for Matt and I as parents.  This Christmas, Ryder truly understood why we celebrate Christmas.  He was so excited for baby Jesus and his Birthday.

We read the Christmas Story almost every night switching it up with a book called Santa Mouse every now and again.  (Santa Mouse is a super cute book if you're in the market for new Christmas books next year!)

We started out the birthday celebrations at Ryder's preschool the week before Christmas.  It was a Birthday Party for Jesus complete with Happy Birthday Jesus decorations.  (Note: to anyone who would like to use similar decorations in the future...stock up early.  I found these at Hobby Lobby, a week before his class party (midway through December) and picked up the last few sets of plates and napkins they had.  I would suggest buying them in November if you know you need them! ) It was a Pajama Day, Pizza Party, Book Exchange.  I  took a zillion pictures, but couldn't make my boy smile.  He LOVES pizza and all he could do was shovel it in his mouth!  I think he would eat it every meal if given the opportunity.   He was excited I was there which always melts my heart and even more excited that I took him with me when the party was over and it was time to get out the napmats!

Matt spent the following weekend (the weekend before Christmas) hunting with his Dad and some buddies, so the boys and I went back home to my parent's house.  Ryder and I shopped with my Mom and Sister Saturday.  Ryder was a trooper and hung with us all day even without a nap.  I let him "Build a Bear" since he was so good and realized that it is not the end product he is interested in.  He just likes the building process.  He loves that he gets to push the pedal, he loves even more to blow the bear dry after its bath, he is ecstatic to push buttons on a computer...he doesn't care anything about the stuffed animal.  Basically, I paid $20.00 to let him play for a half hour.  Whatever makes him happy!

Rustin stayed home with my Dad and ended up getting sick.  I don't think it would be Christmas at our house if somebody wasn't sick.  I stayed up with him, literally, all night Saturday.  A week of breathing treatments and he is thankfully back to normal.

We celebrated my 30-something Birthday at Cowboy Chow.  I've cheered about them on my blog before...their Watermelon Sweet Tea is amazing!  That afternoon we took the boys to see the Trains at Northpark (a Mall in Dallas for those who are not in Texas)...which Matt had gotten complimentary tickets to.   In true Joy fashion, I couldn't find the tickets when we got there. We bought new tickets and then about 5 minutes after we left, I found the tickets in my purse.  I am trying to become better organized...and I've made some strides, but I obviously have not arrived yet!  No birthday pictures, since I am the annoying one usually snapping all of the pictures (Ryder runs the other direction when he sees a camera...not a lie.).

We made a trip to see Santa...Rustin was terrified and Ryder was confused about why Rustin was so terrified.  After all...if you don't tell Santa what you want how will he know what to bring you?

Christmas Eve we went to church and then came home to make preparations for Santa.

We sprinkled Reindeer food.  We made sure the fireplace was open and  then assured Ryder that Santa wouldn't be burned.  Seriously. We set out Cookies for Santa to eat.  Rustin found them before Santa arrived. 

Santa came and Ryder woke up Christmas morning shouting "Christmas is Here!".  He peeked into the living room and shrilled with excitement when he saw that Santa brought what he had asked for...a Train!

The best gift of the day was all of the time we spent with our families.  That is the story of our 2010 Christmas.  We love you all and can't wait to share our happenings with you in the New Year!