Merry Christmas 2016!

Click here for the 2016 Traxel Family Yearbook

Theo's 1st Christmas felt much less chaotic than the last couple years because of how our celebrations were bunched. After decorating, eating the presents, staring contests with the tree and waiting (mostly) patiently; Christmas finally arrived.

Onesie was worn for my first Christmas...
pictures, service, family Christmas and Christmas day 

First came our little family Christmas on the 17th, because I'm still 8 years old and hate surprises. We have been doing the want/need/wear/read gift idea that has been going around, but also added in make and hang (annual ornament).

The next day we left for extended DeWaard family Christmas in Pella; starting with Jacob and Sarah's wedding on Saturday night. It had stormed Friday night and that morning, so the roads were a little dicey, but Mike got us there safely and it was only a little bit of a mad dash to be ready on time. Unfortunately that meant I didn't remember to get a family picture while we were all dressed up. Sunday morning was spent in the pool, dealing with a less than ideal hotel situation and then Lily and Theo napped through Christmas. (Can you picture my "of course" eye roll?)

First time swimming without needing to be held! 

That evening we drove back to Johnston and started Mike's immediate family Christmas. The adults did gifts and played white elephant after the kids went to bed and then the kid's had their Christmas in the morning. Unfortunately, Theo spent that whole day sick, likely a reaction to the very runny cold he had had the whole week before.

No more making TP tube binoculars for me!!

Home for a couple days, including receiving my new camera lens and a trip to the doctor to confirm that Theo wasn't 1) in need of antibiotics or 2) contagious, and then we were off to Mount Vernon to see my family. We had two days of just hanging out as a family, playing lots of cards and continuing Megan's Great Losing Streak of 2016 (its real bad guys!) before actual Christmas celebrations began.

Dad and Mike constructed some of Dad's gifts from last year - itty bitty figurines.
This is one of 20 cars on a 4" tall ferris wheel!

 

We were so close Joe! Sigh. 

On Christmas Eve, we went to my first ever candlelight service at Veritas CR before heading to the the Hardin's house, as is tradition. Juli's gift was just amazing...

Theo wasn't so sure about the cracker crowns...

 

Lily cleaned up all the wrapping for us... as we opened, by tearing small pieces,
putting them in the box and saying "der you go" over and over.

We opened gifts on Christmas morning and the rest of the Halupnik family came over the day after Christmas. 

To celebrate it being Theo's first Christmas, we recreated Lily's 1st Christmas photo, which was much tighter fit with his extra 2.5 months and 3 pounds!

We also attempted a siblings in front of the tree shot. The holidays can be really hard, especially when you're sick... 

But we survived and did have a very Merry Christmas, and we hope you did too!