Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Our cute gingerbread girls.

Tell us how you really feel about it, Hattie.

Christmas jammies on New Years Eve.

My doctor doesn’t believe in teething, and I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure that’s just what Harriet was doing Christmas Eve and most of that week.

My favorite Harris family Christmas tradition is caroling on Christmas Eve.  For maybe 15 years the Harrises have been caroling with their best family friends, the Roberts.  Everyone sings quite well and the harmonizing is beautiful.  My family might find it funny that this is my favorite tradition because growing up my family also went caroling every year, but I was painfully embarrassed and hid behind my dad.  I’m pretty certain I did this even as a teenager.  I like to think I’ve really matured since then. 

Elna loved to ring the doorbell at each house!

We only went to four houses this year.  Usually we go to 10 or more I think.  This picture is of Elna and Angie at the Greens house.

This is the entire group: Jared, DeWin, Lucy and Hattie, Brian and Elna, Barbara, Linda, Chris (front), Lauren, Chris, Brandon, Chelsea, and Allan Roberts.

When we got home from caroling we were sure to leave out some snacks for Santa:

With all the cookies Santa was getting we figured he could use some fruit and whole wheat bread.

This is how it looked before going to bed tonight.  Almost all of Elna’s gifts this year were from a friend of mine—she gave them to us because her daughter had outgrown them, but we knew Elna would love them and waited until Christmas to give them to her.  A great blessing for us this year!  I’m sure we won’t always be able to get away with this because when she is older she might tell us what she wants, but when the girls are young this approach works so well!  Thank you to our hand-me-downers!  Elna loved everything!

The princess bandaids were easily her favorite stocking stuffer.  They were gone within 48 hours.

This was the only thing we bought (besides dollar store stocking stuffers).  She is so into baby dolls right now we thought it would be fun for her to have a diaper bag (complete with a cell phone, car keys, lotion, baby powder etc.—i.e. her favorite things).

Hattie, being 9 months old, didn’t get very much.  She mostly got diapers for the next few months—so thoughtful and practical of Santa, right?

Eating teething biscuits from her stocking.

Elna gave her that doll that she picked out from the dollar store.  I’m not sure it was a hit.  I’m not even sure where it is anymore.  Good thing it only cost a dollar.

After finishing Christmas at our house we went over for round two at Grandma and Papa’s house.  We had such a nice day together.  I just love Brian’s family!!

Harriet is almost constantly standing if she is awake.

Elna with her Uncle Jared.  Elna really, really likes Jared.  He is a very fun uncle!  She misses him now that he’s gone back to UT.

I love the look of wonder on her face here!

I didn’t grow up believing in Santa Claus and Brian definitely did.  We have such different traditions surrounding Christmas because of this.  I don’t feel like either way was right or wrong and I really hope to be able to blend both approaches as much as possible.  I tried to talk to the girls more about Jesus than Santa, but I also see how magical Santa can be and we have loved doing that too.  But more than anything I hope my children understand why we really celebrate Christmas and that they will have a deep love for the Savior—his birth, life and example, and the Atonement.  We love Him!