second christmas.

The morning after we got home from Texas, We snuck out (while Eliza screamed in her crib) and turned on the twinkle lights, set up the presents, grabbed her and all padded out in our pjs for a second helping of Christmas! 

I was so proud of our gift giving this year. Sam and I gave each other sensible gifts, but ones we absolutely needed and were excited to get. Sam got me a new tote, and I got him a new backpack. I also got him the woodblock from Artifact Uprising with photos of Eliza, which may be one of my favorite gifts I've given yet.

And, for Eliza- the tent!

Funny thing is, I added the tent to the end of a clothing order from Cotton On Kids- just because it looked really cute and was super cheap on sale. But, when Sam set it up that night I just knew it was going to be magical. Oh! She loves it so much. She immediately crawled inside, and then proceeded to drag all of her toys inside with her. The tent is pretty flimsy and won't last forever, but it is perfect for her. I love that it is big enough for her to stand in, and for us to sit up in. Because my favorite part is that she is always asking us to come inside with her. Last night, she pulled the whole family in, and insisted that we lay down with pillows and blankets, and each read our own individual books. So, they we were, all squished together, quietly turning pages, with the light coming in through the patterned walls. It was amazing. Mind you, she only lays down for three seconds before she pops back up and squirms around to find something new to bring in the tent. It's her special place.

Our family gift to ourselves was this new (to us) Burley Bee. We've been thinking about getting a bike trailer for months, and I am so glad we did. We both have bikes, but rarely use them because we can't take Eliza. The Bay Area is really bike friendly, and the weather is great year-round. So, we did it! We took a ride down the Bay Trail to the Emeryville Marina, and it was so nice to ride again. We tucked Eliza in with a fuzzy blanket, and stuffed her little backpack with library books. It made me laugh to see her flipping through books and taking in the view. 

Ok, that's the end of my late Christmas posts. We hope your holidays were beautiful! 

Looking back at these posts I realize I spent a lot of time talking about things we did, and things we bought. But, I feel like I really need to include the fact that the holidays this year were pretty much wonderful because of the people that we love. We were able to celebrate with our amazing friends here in Berkeley, spend time with family in Texas, and be together in our own little home.

Also, because of the love of our Savior. It was beautiful seeing the bits and pieces of Christmas that Eliza started to grasp in her mind. She loved playing with her toy nativity set- pressing the angel to hear it play "Away in A Manger" and pointing at the "Baby" in the manger. This year, we started up the tradition of lighting the Advent each Sunday leading up to Christmas- something that my dad did, and still does, with my family. We would turn off the lights, and guide her hand to light each candle. We read the scriptures, and then flipped through picture books that told the story of the birth of our Savior. We are a busy, busy family- too busy, I think. But, sitting there looking at those pictures, and looking down at her face glowing in the candlelight, will be one of those still, quiet moments I can remember forever. Here's to creating more of those moments in our lives.