Sarah Says: A Very MERRY Christmas!

**Disclosure: Not a kid believing friendly post.**

Since Ryan and I have been a couple our Christmas days have gone as follows:

First Christmas was celebrated 3,000 miles apart with me in Philadelphia and him in Oregon with J-man.

Second Christmas we were together with Ryan's family in California.

Third Christmas Ryan was spent with Ryan on the ship. I was home alone in Virginia.

This Christmas, our fourth Christmas was spent as a family in Philadelphia. It was the first Philadelphia Christmas experience for both Ryan and J-man and I loved watching them adapt to new traditions, sometimes with giggles, and make the day extra special!

Our Christmas morning started off at 12am with a fire alarm. Holy Panic Attack Batman! Santa was on his way, we heard the pitter-patter on the roof. I grabbed a dish rag and started batting frantically at the fire detector to make it stop. At that moment, with one hand on the door to the kids room and one fanning in the air, I wanted nothing more than that damn beeping to stop. It did...finally...but it started again...not once, but twice. By this point, Ryan was laughing and said quote "I need a beer for this"...Really, Babe?!?! Really?! It is funny NOW. To top it all off, my dad was sound asleep, one of those won't wake up, but answers questions in gibberish kind of sleeps. This wasn't helpful for my mama who didn't know where he had strategically hid some Christmas presents. Luckily, this gal knows her pops well and was able to locate them rather quickly, but not before my mama stomped through mud. The sheet was hung in the hallway and off to bed we went!

**Oh, so you aren't worried, the house is fine. The fire detector went off because candle wax fell onto the wood stove and created an insane amount of smoke.**

Let me tell you, the look in those kiddos' eyes on Christmas morning made it all worth it! Being on the other side is quite fun and way more rewarding!

It's faces like this that make your entire body smile!

And, what's Christmas without the essentials!

I was obviously happy about my pretzel M&M's!

A sled with a strobe light! Sadly, snow was nowhere to be found this Christmas :(

He's a Cutie!

Mama was even in for a good surprise this year thanks to my brother who just happens to be one of the best gift givers of all times!

Giving was the theme. This little one was beyond stoked about his gift to his Dad! Just look at that smile.

Star Wars gets him every single time...

And look at me being all stylish with my faux fur!! Thanks bro for the crazy hat that I requested to a point and thanks mom and dad for the jacket! Love 'em!