christmas morning was quiet and calm. it was me, hc, and olive doing our usual routine. we really wanted starbucks but the one closest to us was closed {sad face}, so dunkin’ donuts it was; hc got us yummy donuts and {okay} coffee. the coffee was alright. i’m such a starbucks fan and i was totally missing my americano this past christmas morning.

after breakfast {olive was napping}, hc and i just chilled on the couch. ahhhhh, some relaxation was in order. it was quite nice to have some quiet time and do nothing. we just waited and waited for miss olive to wake up and be on our merry way to aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house.

before going to their house, first we stopped off at missy’s house to exchange presents. it’s our christmas day routine. of course, it was mostly about miss olive. she had the most presents! natch.

[miss olive loving the cat]

[here kitty kitty]

[my cutie]

when we arrived at missy’s house, olive was totally smitten by the kitty cats! she was so delighted! she smiled and petted the cats, she was loving it. it was too cute to see. i love seeing her amazed by simple things and how sweet she can be when she’s so curious, intrigued, and happy.

[olive loving her new vacuum]

[my gift from dick and jane]

[quilted olive pillow!]

[she loves her the winnie the pooh wooden puzzle]

[papa opening his gift: a whole year of salami!]

[cousin daniel]

[aunt missy and olive]

after missy’s place, we finally arrived at aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house. the party was in full swing. we rushed in and greeted everyone. a lot of hugs and ‘merry christmas’ exchanged amongst everyone. we made our rounds of hello’s and settled in. we were only there for a little bit before dinner was ready. every year, vicki makes her famous stuffed shells…they are so rich and yummy. it’s like a heart attack on a plate but oh so good.

once dinner was served, we all hung out and socialized. it was great to see olive in action. she is always so scared, attentive, intense, and observant when she is in a place that is unfamiliar. she has to assess her situation and get comfortable before she decides if it’s a safe place. once she is sold that it’s not a scary place, she will start to explore. that is when she becomes herself and starts to enjoy her surroundings and people.

[chocolate martini]

[kaitin and lisa]

[chunker cheeks!]

[heart attack on a plate]

[lori, kait, lisa, and missy]

[jay and morgan]

[rich’s godson, jake]

[lori and moi]

[parents]

[kids]

[grandkids]

after a few hours of hanging out with the fam, olive was a bit spent and it was time to go. she was getting super tired and when that happens, she gets into these crying fits. that is when we know she is dunzo! so, we said our goodbyes and off we went.

it was a very merry christmas.

xoxo