Christmas 2014

Christmas was a whirlwind of travel and spending time with all our family. Traveling and packing at Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning for our house this year as we had to haul everything cross country. Packing isn't for the faint at heart.  By the time we pulled out of our driveway,, I sort of felt like we looked like this...

The week back in South Dakota was better than words can really describe. We spent a great deal of time with both of our families, mostly just vegging and enjoying each other. 

Christmas Eve was spent with Ryan's family.  We all went to church, including my mom, and celebrated the true meaning of Christmas.

Sullivan and Quinn in their pretty Christmas dresses...

Our annual Pooley family picture before church...

After church and a delicious meal, we had plenty of presents to open... 

The girls were super excited to get a new American Girl doll... 

 Along with the Nerf guns that Uncle got for them.  Thanks, Uncle! 

Everyone enjoyed unwrapping gifts, but no one as much as Sullivan Grace.  She had no problem assisting everyone...(while Quinn photographed)!

Christmas morning, Santa found us in Sioux Falls, thankfully. We had a couple of worried girls. 

We opened stocking stuffers alone, before heading upstairs to unwrap presents with the cousins...

Santa went a little overboard on the stuffers (as usual)...! 

Quinn and Sullivan thought opening Santa's presents with their cousins this year was pretty cool.

Santa was pretty good to all of them. Sullivan got a big shopping mall Lego set that she had asked for...

And Quinn got her iPod. The picture doesn't even capture half the excitement that Quinn had when she opened that up. 

It's funny how that iPod instantly warped her into tween years.  She looks so grown up with that technology in the palm of her hand. Are we ready for it?! I don't know. 

Opening presents is such hard work.  We had to take a time-out to enjoy one of Elsa's giftsshe got and make everyone some "coffee"!

Christmas afternoon, Grandma Jane joined us and we opened even more presents. Overwhelmed, we weren't able to tackle all of them at once. So we leisurely opened a present every now and again. Whenever the feeling struck. It was great.

A beautiful meal, sadly with not many pictures to remember it by, was provided that evening by Mer and Matt for all of us and Ryan's family. So so yummy! 

Our Christmas celebrations were truly magical.  Stay tuned... more to come on other adventures and happenings during our trip back to SD!!!