Does Christmas feel like it was ages ago to you too? Being newly pregnant, buying a house and moving across the state all during Christmas season was a little crazy for us! By the time I was (mostly) unpacked, I realized Christmas was less than ten days away – eeek!

But I pulled it off. Santa got a plate of cookies on Christmas eve (we hear his favorite are chocolate chip), we managed to watch the old Rudolph and Frosty movies a few times, and Jack learned all about Jesus’ birth and how Jesus used to be a baby too.

My parents hosted the first-ever Family Christmas Party, which was a big success. We missed my sister’s family there, but with almost everyone in attendance it was still a lot of fun. I perfected restaurant-style Mexican rice (no easy feat – I should post the recipe before I lose it!), and we had a Mexican feast for Christmas complete with tamales, beans, rice, salad and fried ice cream. We decorated cookies, met Santa, played pin-the-nose-on-rudolph (this was the best activity I think), made ornaments, swapped books (a yearly gift-giving tradition among the grandchildren), re-enacted the Nativity story, and also went caroling! I am already looking forward to next year and feel so incredibly blessed to have such a close-knit family.

Christmas eve and day was low-key for us Joneses, just how we like it. We had my parents and my sister Logan over for Christmas dinner, and spent the rest of the time as just our little family of three. I feel like it helps in the gratitude and reflection department a little more without too much extended family chaos.

The mood was different this year, and I fully welcomed it. As I looked at our stockings hung on the mantle, I was actually excited to hang a fifth one after Amelia’s. Next Christmas we will be a family of five, and I’ve realized I’m more than ready for it. :)

…and now for a plethora of photos. Apologies! (kind of.)

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(and now here’s our little Jones family Christmas)

^^After opening Christmas Eve jammies, we set out cookies for Santa and read the story of Jesus’ birth along telling the story with our Nativity advent calendar.

^^This little kid, out of nowhere, started requesting a “red bike” for Christmas the entire month of December. And Mom & Dad delivered. :)

^^My Christmas was Imagine Dragons concert tickets!! Tyler bought them BEFORE we had any idea we’d be moving, and even though they were also playing in the Bay Area he decided to buy them for San Diego. Inspiration much? ;)