Christmas 2010

This year we celebrated Christmas with the Mehringer side of the family. All four siblings and their spouses were here and Ray and Missy hosted Christmas Day at their house. I'm not sure how far back the tradition goes but they have been going out to dinner on Christmas Eve for many years. This year we decided to have Italian and Sisley's Italian Kitchen was the unanimous choice. We were even able to have our own private room! We felt like we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. This was also the night we decided to tell the family our big news! Especially in the evenings it had become tricky trying to hide or disguise my baby bump and with everyone together we felt it would be a good time.

To tell the family our announcement, I made a calendar with pictures from the previous year of all our family adventures. On baby's due date month I put a picture of Reese in her shirt that says, "I'm going to be a big sister." Missy was the one to open the calendar and no one was expecting such a surprise when she got to July.

After our dinner at Sisley's we went driving to see lights. It was a colder night here in California so we stayed in the car and just drove through the neighborhood at Courtland. I felt like a kid again and oohed and ahhed more than anyone else in our car.  Afterwards we headed to Tad and Monika's for dessert...an amazing molten chocolate cake. Really there aren't words to describe how good it was. I didn't get a picture so you'll have to trust me. It.was.Amazing. 

Once dessert was inhaled finished, us wives revealed a surprise to our husbands we'd been planning. We decided pajamas were the perfect Christmas Eve gift and even though all 3 of us were nervous as to what they'd think and especially whether they'd actually wear them, we went for it. And they shocked us! Not only did they wear them but all 3 liked them too. Yay! Hopefully we've started a new tradition to keep going. Games of Nertz were played and Home Alone was watched. Such a fun night all together!

And when we got home, Matt and I hurriedly stuffed stockings, took this picture and went to bed! We shouldn't have been in such a hurry. Reese woke us up 2 or 3 times that night and banished all thoughts of good sleep before another busy day. That would be why we look like this here. Somehow she looks rested and happy...I wonder why that is.

A few more pictures of Reese opening up her presents...this one is a Fisher Price barn from Nana and Poppy in Alaska!

Matt surprised me with a jewelry box from Pottery Barn. He did a great job keeping a secret and I especially love being able to see all my jewelry out so that it reminds me to wear it. :)