Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

We have a tradition of decorating Gingerbread houses with the entire Holland family on Christmas eve. It has evolved into an intensely fierce competition with the neighbors coming over to judge the winner. Last year, people spent hundreds of dollars and spent weeks planning. My poor mom had to put up with everyone at her house until well after midnight finishing their masterpieces. Dave even had a working ski lift on his, Keri did a Beverly Hills glamour house, Steph and Mike did Whoville, PJ and Julie did "White trash trailer" and Stacey and Chris had a doll house that you could look inside (they won "best concept gone bad"). I didn't participate last year because I was pregnant and not feeling well.

Things weren't quite as out of control as they were last year. For one thing, Julie, Steph and Keri were missing so it wasn't quite as competitive (Keri has won for the last 3 or 4 years--Brat!). Our family made the Polar Express with each of us making a train car. Jacob did the "Dark Knight" batmobile. He is currently obsessed with the Dark Knight, yet he is not allowed to watch the movie.

Kate and Nicole made a snow house. Kate put on all the candy and Nicole filled in all the snow.

Josh made a police car/train.

Lucy made "just a regular train" and decorated all by herself.

I think we all know who the winner is this year :)

Chris and Stacey fizzled out big-time with only 1/2 a roof decorated--Losers!

Jeff and Sam succeeded in getting a box open--that's all

Dave made a South Carolina beach house complete with stilts underneath.

My cute mom doing all the work of course.

Christmas morning. Lucy got her Mia American Girl doll, Aurora tea cart and tea set, Sleeping Beauty's horse, Sleeping Beauty and her Prince, etc. I love this princess/doll phase and will be sad when she grows out of it.

Yes, Jake actually asked Santa for a big skeleton for Christmas. He is going through a morbid fascination phase.

Jake on his new electric scooter.

Josh on his new electric scooter. I really wish he didn't like to wear dad's old t-shirts to bed.

Sam didn't know what was going on and we let him sleep through most of the morning.

I don't have any pictures of this but Jeff got me the best gift ever. He totally surprised me by picking out a bunch of new clothes and a coat at my favorite store, Anthropologie. He got all the right sizes and I loved everything. He seriously has good taste!