A first Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  Our Christmas celebration started off with Midnight (or if you live in California 10PM) Mass.  We missed out on Midnight Mass last year (we didn't get the 10PM memo), so we were beyond excited to go as a family this year.  Midnight Mass is one of my favorite all-time Christmas traditions.

Christmas morning came with a new sort of excitement this year.  Ella's a bit too young to understand what's going on (and to stay focused in unwrapping presents), but it was fun to help her open her presents and see her play with her new toys.  Tim and I contemplated on whether or not to travel for Christmas, but I'm happy we stayed home and spent Ella's first Christmas with the three of us.  

We went to the beach, took a nice, long walk, and feasted on leftover lasagna, sugar cookies, and chocolates.  We closed out the Christmas weekend by going to a dear friend's Christmas party (see last selfie).

It was a sweet Christmas.  I can't wait until Ella's two and three and four and can't get enough of all things Christmas.