We get our pictures taken with the real Santa every year, and it was extra, extra exciting this year as it was Ewan's first time meeting the big guy! We weren't sure how he would respond, but he fell in love! From here on out, Santa's his BFF! Everything Christmas all season was exclaimed in the most excited voice, "Santa!" Too cute! The thing I love most is that Ewan had no clue that Christmas meant presents were coming. He throughly enjoyed the holiday season for the beauty and magic that it is, and payed no attention to the material side of things.
Even though Christmas looked very different for us than usual (we weren't in our home, for starters!), we tried our hardest to keep up with our traditions. This meant making a trip to the Festival of Trees, even though we were in the midst of the busiest week of the season. We love the Festival of Trees, which is a huge fundraiser for Primary Children's Hospital. We saw several rows of trees, then headed to the kid zone to make some crafts! Ewan was quite proud of his sand necklace!
Coloring a stain glass ornament.
Fishing for a lollipop. Obviously it's not his first round of fishing, as evidenced by the candy already in his mouth.
The hands down highlight of the evening had to be the huge bubble machine, though. So funny!
They'd pull the bubble up, but instead of blowing out, he'd take a huge breath in to get ready to blow out. This would cause the whole bubble to suck in and pop on him.
You get three tries, and this happened every time. Too cute!
The most exciting thing of the season happened to us on December 7th. Ewan had his follow up heart appointment and was given the clear to get off his day time oxygen!!! I have scarcely been so excited!! It was really starting to affect our bonding. I had to put his oxygen back on him 10,000,000,000 times a day, which was beyond frustrating for both of us. Last appointment, which was two weeks after his surgery, he had a residual hole in his heart. It was tiny and insignificant, but there nonetheless. Also, his heart was still in shock and swollen. It wasn't beating hard enough and needed the oxygen to avoid strain. At the checkup on the 7th, they couldn't find the hole. It's too early to say whether it's really closed or not, but yay! His heart was also beating regularly again! The right side was still a bit swollen, but his pressures looked good! So amazing! He still wears the oxygen at night, but he's in the clear during the day!!
These pictures were after church on the 13th of December. This is the last snowless weather we've seen since! It snowed like CRAZY that night and several times since. Its nuts!
Oh, Milo! How I love you!!
These pictures were taken only 18 hours after the ones above. What!? It snowed so much we had a late start day at school. Ewan had SO MUCH FUN playing in the snow!!
We had a late start day the next day as well, and Ewan was begging the kids to help him make a snowman. This cute creation is what they came up with, and Ewan asked to go play with the snowman every 30 minutes for days. Cute boy!
We met Santa for the fourth time this season at Grandma and Grandpa's. They have an annual Santa and Mrs. Claus breakfast party. Here's Milo getting his present.
Ewan thought it would be a fun idea to dress up in a Transformers outfit before Santa came, then refused to take it off. Silly boy!
Ewan also had a follow up eye appointment, and everything looks good! Yay!
Every year we have our Christmas Eve celebration with Quin's family on the 23rd, so the day before Christmas Eve. We call it our Christmas Adam party! We have a delicious prime rib dinner, and Quin's parents go all out! It's one of the best nights of the year! So, so fun!
Ewan is a baby hog. Here he is next to his new baby cousin! He wants to stay by her as much as possible and it's so cute!
As part of our celebration, we have a talent show. My kids played the bells and sang this year, and Ewan stole the show (as usual). He's such a character!
This is what he did AFTER he'd already taken a bow. Ha!
Ewan holding his sweet baby cousin. She wasn't so excited about it.
Ewan and Milo's 4 year old cousin wanted to share his talent for trapping his guinea pig. The kids all gathered in a circle and Ewan quickly became REALLY invested! Ewan loves all animals. Very much.
Haha! He's so dang cute!
Caught him!
Ewan decided in addition to playing the bells, he'd share his talent of dancing. He was in rare form, even for him!
Ta da! Or as Ewan would say, Da Dong!
Milo's walking is really taking off! He stands in the middle of the floor by himself, then walks to the nearest piece of furniture or person. It's super impressive! I love it!
After the talent show we did a piñata. Go Ewey!
Even Milo was fascinated by the piñata and wanted to see what all the kids got.
Piñata remnant fun!
Ewan was so obsessed with the whole piñata! We came home and he reenacted it about 15 times. He'd show how he hit it, then show how everyone picked up the candy. It was a hoot!
Christmas Eve!
We started our evening by going caroling to three ladies who needed some cheering up. Ewan has a sixth sense about who needs a hug, and he was the most cheerful of all!
We went to dinner with some family, then had a nativity puppet show. We were all excited when our Elf on the Shelf left Christmas Eve pajamas on the porch!
Silly, hyped up Christmas Eve kids!
Christmas morning magic! Ewan was so surprised that the very thing he'd been asking Santa for appeared in his living room!
Weeee!
Food in the stocking. Amazing!
He carried this can of Pringles with him all day. Too cute!
Pops, or Pause as Ewan calls him, helping with the Jumparoo.
We had a fairly low-key Christmas. One gift from Santa, a trip to Disneyland from Mom and Dad, and one sibling gift. Ewan's sister got him a Boogie Board, because he loves stealing hers. It was a hit!
Milo had a rough night and, therefore, slept in a bit. He was excited about the Jumparoo as well! (This was a combined present for both Ewan and Milo).
Opening his sibling gift.
The best part was the wrapping paper!
We headed to Quin's family's house mid-morning for more fun!
This little face is my favorite! I adore him!!
Milo playing with his baby cousin. He was enamored by her! He touched her so gently!
So sweet!
We had a wonderful Christmas full of love and laughter! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
The day after Christmas we went sledding with more cousins! Ewan was a wild man! He initially went other people, but eventually started going down the hill on his own. He was so brave and so funny! He'd get to the bottom of the hill and put his hands above his head in victory!
He tried every sled and had the time of his life!
On one of the last runs of the day, his sled went sideways and tipped him out. He banged up his cheek and got a fat lip. Poor boy! He's okay, though, and had a great time!
On the 27th, Quin and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary! We were such babies! Life has turned out differently than we could ever have imagined, but so, so much better!
The 28th is the third anniversary of the Russian Adoption Ban. We met Dasha the 20th of December, 2012, so December is always a bittersweet month for us. I still think of this little peanut every single day. I pray for her. She's not on the database, so I have to hope and pray she's safe and loved in her foster family! Thank heavens she's not on the database, really!
Please continue to pray for the orphans in Russia. There are still at least 25 kids who'd met potential American parents who remain orphans. It's unbearable.
We had a wonderful first Christmas with Ewan. His 6 months gotchaversary is tomorrow! Unbelievable! We had our first post placement report the week before Christmas. It's hard to believe! Time flies when you're having fun!
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