Christmas 2010

Christmas was wonderful as always!

On Christmas Eve we went to the Children's Service at John's church. Basically it was an abbreviated service where we sang a lot of Christmas Carols.

When we got home we started getting dinner ready because my mom and dad were coming over for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. This year I was going to go all out and then my mom suggested just getting some BBQ. Of course once I mentioned that to John he agreed wholeheartedly. So he had picked up some BBQ for us and I made some sides. Although the meal itself would have done perfectly well on paper plates I insisted that we were going to use the good china!

We enjoyed our meal and the kids, already wound up, got into their Christmas pj's and we went online to the NORAD website to see if we could track Santa. They got so excited and so once my parents left we had to try to calm the kids down enough to go to bed!

Sticking to my own tradition, I made some hot chocolate, turned on "A Christmas Story" and wrapped some presents. Once I was done I headed off to bed so Santa would come.

Christmas morning the kids woke up and I got out my new Flip video camera (an early present from John) and we came downstairs. The kids were so excited to see that Santa had brought them Pillow Pets for Christmas!

They opened their stockings first and laughed about the fact that Santa had once again left them new underwear in their stockings!!! Even daddy!

Abby had only asked for clothes, shoes, and jewelry for Christmas...yes, she's only 5! When I asked her if she wanted any toys she said she thought we had enough so she didn't need anymore...WOW!

Max was NOT excited at all about the clothes he received and Lucy was just as thrilled with hers as Abby was.

For breakfast I made maple pecan sticky buns and they were gone within 10 minutes of coming out of the oven!

We hung out for awhile, cleaned up the mess, put together and played with some toys, then we got ready to go up to my parents house.

Abby with her stocking stuff...lip gloss and underpants were a hit!

John helping Lucy with her stocking and Ruby enjoying the treats Santa left her!

Max and his pillow pet! I don't know what was wrong with my camera that made his face so bright!

Once we got to my mom and dad's we hung out until my sister Shea and her family arrived and then my sister Mallory and her boyfriend. Once everyone was under one roof we had a big dinner! Every year since Molly and Abby were born, my mom has bought the kids matching Christmas p.j.'s and has taken a picture of the grand kids for her Christmas card. Through the years the number of grands has grown (Shea and I both have 4 kids) and she and my dad have gotten into the picture as well...complete with Christmas p.j.'s in coordinating colors :)

This year they decided they wanted the WHOLE family in the picture and we had to wear p.j.'s too. John, and my brother in law John and Mallory's boyfriend Dustin were very vocal in their lack of enthusiasm for the p.j.'s. I guess it was my mom saying they wouldn't get their presents if they didn't cooperate that finally changed their minds ;)

Once the pictures were taken it was time to find a spot on the floor and open presents. With 8 kids and 8 adults it was C.R.A.Z.Y. !!!!! I'm always so nervous that with that much paper flying around that some one's gift is going to get lost in the trash pile!

We had a great time and the kids were exhausted by the time we got the van loaded up and got them home. It has become tradition that the kids and I head back over to my parents' house the day after Christmas so the cousins can have a full day of play time. Jack and Max go off together, Abby and Molly go their way, and this was the first year that Lucy and Sophie and Macy actually played together. I like to joke that Lucy is the luckiest cousin. She has 2 of them that are her age so if one doesn't want to play anymore she still has another one to play with :) Poor Ruby doesn't have a cousin her age but I'm sure with all the older girls that she will be mother henned more than she can handle :)

So that was Christmas 2010. At least I posted about it before Valentine's Day ;P