Merry Christmas...and Happy New Year!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas & New Year's this year!  We put up all our Christmas decorations right after (U.S.) Thanksgiving, and we were all looking forward to a fun, relaxing time together for the holidays!!!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...  

Our Christmas Eve turkey dinner.  Neil had to work until about 3:30 on Christmas eve, but once he got home, we had our turkey dinner, watched the Nativity on the LDS website, and then snuggled up to watch a movie together.  It was a great night!

Christmas Eve 2014 

Christmas morning!   

The boys opening their stockings & gifts from Santa! 

Tessa checking out what Santa brought her!

After we opened up all our presents, we made a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit, and hot chocolate.  We invited the missionaries over to join us, since they are away from their families (I hope that some nice family invites our kids over when they are serving their missions).

After our traditional Christmas morning, and some fun & relaxation at home, we finished packing our suitcases, and headed to Buffalo, NY for the night, ready to fly out the next morning to Baltimore, MD, to head off on our cruise!  While in Buffalo, we decided to go see the new movie "Night at the Museum."  We found this awesome theater that had fully reclining seats.  It was SO cool, and very comfy.  And we all enjoyed the movie too!  :)

At the cruise port, Neil checking out where we will be heading...

The kids hanging out in the cruise port, waiting to board our ship, Royal Caribbean's  Grandeur of the Seas.