I'm always so amazed by how Christmas seems to take forever to get here and then it is over so quickly. Sigh! The week before Christmas, Avery got sick with a cold which then turned in to a small cold for me as well. Thankfully, Ave was feeling much better (and me mostly better) by Christmas Eve. We went to the Christmas Eve service at Faithbridge with Bill's family and then headed over to his parents' house for dinner and presents.
This year we decided to let Avery listen to some of the music at the beginning of the church service. She loved the music and did a little dancing too but got a little squirmy so I took her to the Kingdom Club to get some energy out right before the message started. I think the Christmas Eve service is my favorite every year but I have found myself getting really emotional lately as a parent. I find myself able to relate so much more to Mary and Joseph now that I have gone through the carrying, delivering, and parenting a child. I can't even imagine going through all that they went through all the while knowing that they were becoming the earthly parents of our Savior! It's amazing to think about.
We celebrated that evening with a lot of Wendy's side of the family. Avery knows just where Wendy has toys stored and spent the majority of the night doing puzzles and playing with Laura's old toys. We had a tasty dinner and then did a white elephant present exchange. I love white elephant exchanges and this year did not disappoint!
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| Posing with the girls- Aunt Laura and Haley |
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| Gram Z |
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| Bill's Uncle Eddie and Ave |
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| Ready to open some presents! |
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| Taking a breather in her high chair |
After dinner, we also celebrated Bill's birthday with a cake that Wendy got from RJ Goodies.
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| Wendy got a little creative with the numbers when she didn't have an 8! |
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| Helping Daddy blow out his candles |
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| The Zipps Crew |
At the end of the white elephant exchange, Avery made a new best friend. Will, Bill's cousin, got a big bag of mnm's and gave a couple to Ave. She was then at his side for the rest of the night. It cracks me up because Avery is usually really timid around men, especially those she is not around often. Notice her hand placement. She's definitely a sweets girl just like her mama.
After a fun night with family, we had to get Ave to bed so that Santa could come!
She is a beauty in that dress and bow! Love that sweet girl.
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