Here are many pics and a few tales about our Christmas vacation this year. It was superb!
First couple of days home Orie gave me one of my Christmas presents...it was a fancy new camera....that I love!!! I don't really know how to use it yet but I can already tell the difference in the quality of the picture. I am so excited! We snapped lots of pics just testing out different things.
Here is Orie's artistic vision of William's new stocking...mom and dad's mantle was quite full with 13 stockings this year....and if the other dogs had spent the night then there would have been 16 - wow!
I couldn't resist testing out a pic of this sweet girl....isn't she just the cutest? I love that we have a precious girl to dress....and yes, I often feel like I get to "dress her" every day because her mommy listens to everything I say!!!
We started off our trip decorating mom and dad's Christmas tree....somehow they had not gotten a tree this year and were almost okay with not having one at all....we did not take this very well and did something about it. So a tree trimming party we had and it was so fun. We even started a new tradition for who gets to put the angel on the top.....as kids we rotated years between us girls....now the grands are each taking a turn! so fun!
good thing they had some adult supervision with the lights!
Ethan putting the angel on the tree
looks good
After the tree trimming party these tiny tots needed a bath....why not bathe them together in a big bath tub for the first time? Surprisingly they did really well and seemed to have a good time hanging out in the tub together!
tubby time
The next night we headed to dinner with Big Orie at the club....it was a fun evening and William was very entertaining for most of the time....then he crashed in his stroller. I think he might have stayed awake the whole time if we had given him the french fries that he was eyeing!
We even squeezed in a little time to hang out with August and Alexis P. while watching some football....William really thought Alexis was cool but was way more interested in eating August's head....oh my sweet boy....
That night we were at Kat's house past bed time so we had to borrow some jammies and wind down for the night....isn't my little boy cute in pink elephants? It's amazing how girly my all boy can look when he wears pink!
Do you think he will retaliate for this one day?
The next day we had errands to run and lunch dates to have....these babies said oh brother and just passed out!
Nothing better on the end of the day than getting some love from sweet August!
The next day we popped over to visit Nana when she got home from a quick Dallas trip. She was all smiles for William.
The next day I had a get together with some friends and babies. We had a great lunch, awesome visit, skyped our friend who couldn't make it into town, watched the babies play together (well William didn't watch...it was his nap time shortly after we arrived...so he napped in chh's pack and play), and the only reason the fun ended was because we had a baby blow out - i have never seen people scatter and round up the children so fast...it was hysterical!
it really doesn't get any better than all of these sweet faces!
wlw
sed
hra
chh and william
he gave such sweet kisses to his friend
aunt carie wants her turn with william
The next day was Papa's birthday and we had a fun dessert party with him and opened presents. I think the best present was him having all of us home to celebrate with him....oh and that he got to play golf all day")
di and william
Cooper absolutely adores his cousins! He is such a sweet boy to them....
august and william playing around
papa with the big boys
william says all the birthday pie made him tired...
Then it was somehow Christmas Eve....wow - where did the time go. We celebrated at the M house with a Christmas Eve brunch and then Christmas craft and then opening of the presents. It was so much fun! After presents we headed to the 3:00 family service where Ethan was in the Nativity story...he was such a sweet Shepard. After church we headed to Grandma's for and H family Christmas and William had a ball. He was pooped at the end of the day!
Di making the numbers to draw from....we are ready to play pirates Christmas craft!
Tess and her Christmas craft that Kat made
Orie with his craft that Tess made
Cooper....I mean Aunt Jemima
William and his Tess and Papa....his present to them...
The babies in their matching outfits for church
Ethan and his new super hero pajamas!!
Cooper with his Elmo rock band from Aunt Kat, Uncle Josh, Aunt Di and Uncle Orie...he loved it!
the big boys and their special footballs....looks like Drew forgot to sign one of them???
Family pic on W's first Christmas
the whole M family....I think we might all be looking with our eyes open.....
the cousins....who really are a lot happier than this picture conveys:)
one of my favs....what faces!!!
the H fam on Christmas Eve....
William and his sweet cousin Isabella....she was SO SWEET to him the whole night....I think he likes her baby doll too!
William with his Nana and Grandma...
Grandpa giving out his traditional Mc Donald's gift cards....William was so excited!
Christmas Eve getting ready for bed at Tess and Papa's
William leaving his cookies and milk for Santa...he wanted to eat and drink it himself!
hope Santa likes it!
August wants to eat her cookies and milk for Santa too
and sleeping sweetly waiting for Santa to come...
Santa came....
trying to get a pic on the stairs....william was wondering why he had not been fed his morning bottle yet?
I think they are over this?
family pic on Christmas morning...
Santa brought Gregory the Grasshopper....he is going to love having this
Santa even left some things for Grace...she was so excited to be remembered....this year especially!
he loves Gregory's antennas and all the sounds and songs he makes
Cooper loved August's Fergie the Frog
Merry Christmas August!
After a french toast breakfast we were off to the H house to celebrate....and Santa even left some things for William over there too...he is such a lucky boy
William with Nana and Grumpus
his first Christmas toy set
and a snuggly LSU pillow
William and his Daddy with more stuff inside his stocking
He loves his stand up table and can't wait to stand next to it and play!
We spent the day celebrating with the H family, opening presents and hanging out. That night we went to Aunt Deborah's for dinner and William got to meet more family. They were so excited to see him!
with Aunt Judy
and Uncle Rick
The next day we had to tell Daddy bye as he headed back for work and then William and I headed to Arkansas for more celebrating. It was so fun but I think this is when William decided that he had enough fun celebrating Christmas with everyone...he would now like to be left alone!
Aunt Jen holding William....a nice break for mom...
August looking for William
oh well....i guess he's looking for an escape route...
all the great grands with Mama Tee and Poppy....Mama Tee made all of them a special pillow
all of the grands with their special wall hangings Mama Tee made
Poppy coming in to do his "ho ho ho"
Poppy with his two newest great grands....
Cooper helping Tess open her special present from poppy...
Tess and Poppy after she opened her special necklace from her daddy....he gives a special gift to all the grands and great grands each year....usual his daughters get a little cash in their present....this year he got them a special necklace about being his daughter and his friend....they were all thrilled to open it!
After Arkansas we were ready for some relaxation....but no time for that. We had play dates, lunch dates, ice cream get togetherness and much more!
Charlie came over to play...yeah! he is such a sweetheart....
Tess and William watching Ethan and Adam playing........he was so excited to be in chill mode....
Ethan with his boomerang....this is one cool kid!
We were also able to celebrate Ethan's 5th birthday while we were in town. It was so fun....we had a pre birthday dinner at Pie Works, a birthday morning of coloring with Di and Ethan, a birthday lunch at Rolling in the Dough and then a birthday ice cream gathering at the Frozen Frog....is this kid loved or what? I wish I had some pics but I don't seem to take many when I am on single mom duty....:(
After all of this excitement we decided it was time to head back to Dallas. We missed Orie tons and were ready to get home and see him....we timed it just right with his return from his work trip and we were so excited to see him! We then decided what we wanted to do for NYE and set off for the store to pick up the ingredients for our fabulous dinner. William was so excited about New Year's Eve....after all it is his first one and he has heard they can be very fun and he might even get to stay up a little late!
Happy New Year
William wore his special party outfit and even had some afternoon play time with Dad in the backyard....the day was gorgeous and we loved spending it together!
This is what happened when William realized he didn't get to stay up until midnight hanging out with us.....
I love setting our table with our china and crystal....so pretty....
dinner....lollipop lamb chops, asparagus, mashed potatoes and a fabulous Portuguese red wine...
even Grace got in on the yummy lamb chop....
dessert.....I wish I could say homemade...but no....picked up from the pre made dessert counter at Central Market...but plated quite well!
and champagne with blueberries to ring in the new year....Happy 2012 friends!
We absolutely loved our Christmas vacation with family and friends....I loved every single moment of fun, family, craziness, crowded rooms, car rides, no naps, matching outfits, cousins coughs and loves, friend fun, lunch dates (even our non exclusive ones) and everything in between.....
and even though the Griswolds in us would never say this...I just love this quote....Merry Christmas friends and Happy 2012
"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."
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