Christmas!

We had a great Christmas! Tyler got to be home with us for a week. His flight was delayed because of a really bad snow storm so we had to purchase another ticket through a different airline to get him home close to the time that he was initially supposed to get home. He missed a connecting flight so he ultimately ended up getting home about a day later than originally planned but we were so happy to have him home! It took a little adjusting to having him around again, as we were really set in our routine with having him away but it was so nice to have a week where we didn't have to worry about anything other than spending time with him.
We did our Christmas a day early. He had to report back to OCS on the 26th and therefore had to fly out on the morning of the 25th since it takes so long to get from the west to the east coast, which was a bummer. But we cooked a fun Christmas dinner with all the trimmings: turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and even two pies. It was a great meal! With kids as young as ours the present opening drags on all day: open a present and play with it for an hour and repeat until all the presents are gone ;) Sure makes it seem like Christmas lasts longer that way though, I really enjoyed it and our kids had fun too!

When Tyler first got home

Hanging out with Madi

The "snowman" that Ameilya and Tyler made together

Opening the Christmas gifts from Grandma and Grandpa Gillette

Making gingerbread houses, or in Ameilya's case a gingerbread choo choo train

 Mommy's gingerbread house:

Tyler's gingerbread house (made with help from Ameilya):

 

Ameilya's finished gingerbread choo choo train, complete with train track :)

 

Ameilya wanted a picture with the snowman at the mall :)

Ameilya's wooden cookie making set from her Grandpa and Grandma McClellan:

Matching dresses: (these were actually from Tyler's brother Wes' wedding in November but are great for Christmas and will fit them for a while! All the little girls at the wedding wore these matching dresses, it was precious)

We were sure to have Daddy leave again but we made a paper chain to help the kids not be so sad about him leaving again so soon and to be happy that it would just be a short time before they got to see him again :)