Yes- I’ve been e x t r a  lazy these past few days….and it’s been wonderful :-)  That would be the reasoning behind no blog posts on Christmas….or the day after Christmas….or the day after that….

There are babies to be held, things to talk about, food to eat, movies to watch, nephews to terrorize, sleeping-in to be done, wine to drink, couches to take naps on, etc, etc.  There’s just too much to do around here and no time for me to sit at my computer :-) 

Christmas was AHHHHH MAZING!!!    My parents blew it out of the water again this year.  Those two are just magical.  I’m telling you- when we open those doors on Christmas morning to go into the living room and see what Santa left…..it really is like a magical land.  The set up and placement of each toy, the Christmas music playing, the warm fire going, the little details scattered throughout the room, the Santa note (which I just now realized I totally forgot to read this year….I’m going to go check it out as soon as I post this) the half eaten cookies, the smell of Christmas Breakfast baking, the big eyes of all the grandbabies, the smiles on my parents faces, and on and on….it’s all just straight out of a movie.   I have so many “favorite” parts of Christmas and walking through those doors on Christmas morning is one of my biggest favorites.  It’s not because of the toys…it’s because of the insane amount of work my parents put into making memories that have stuck with us for years and years.  The things they do for their family….I really don’t even know how to describe it.  They are just perfect examples of what parents should be.  

So yeah- I think it’s just knowing all the hard work & detail that goes into creating that “magical” moment on Christmas morning…that’s what I like.  Seeing the looks on my parents faces when they watch their family walk into the room- they honestly just smile because they see their kids/grandkids smiling.  They live for making those smiles happen :-)  Christmas, being cute & paying close attention to detail just so happen to be my mom’s speciality!

So like I said- I’ve been super lazy.  This means that I also haven’t been to awesome about getting pictures.  I collected pictures from my sisters to add to my post :-)  Although…now that I look at them…most of them are my pictures, so maybe I took more than I thought. 

Anyway- here’s what’s been going on for the past few days!

Eating and more eating

Lots of baby snuggling

Lots of falling asleep on couches and making babies smile

I love these pictures. I snuck outside on Christmas Eve and took this one of our side porch. I love the rocking chairs by the tree and everything covered in snow. I also like the view looking in :-)

So grandma busted out all sorts of stuff for the grandkids throughout Christmas Eve.  I think they opened a new “craft toy” every hour.  They had Santa Masks to decorate, gingerbread houses to make, coloring books to fill, etc.   She had a table set up in the garage (don’t worry- it’s heated) and the kids could do any sort of messy craft project out there.  It was perfect!

I guess Bella was pretty bossy with Grandma and the coloring :-)

Bella made Papa a mask :-)

Then it was time to slowly start getting ready for Midnight Mass (another “christmas favorite” of all the girls in the family….not so much the boys) and our 30 minute drive through the lovely snow & ice covered roads.

I thought this picture was funny because it shows the three stages of getting ready for church....we have Kaitlin just out of the shower, Papa is at least dressed....but not dressed for church and then we have Autumn and Briley who are both dressed and ready to go. Some of us just move extra slow :-)

Then it was time to attempt the family picture before midnight mass.  It’s always a rat race :-)  This is a fun little progression of pictures

I think this is when I pushed the timer button, ran across the room and said, "I don't think I'm in it...but screw it-let's go!"

Then Christmas morning came along and we all hung out in the dinning room while we waited for the Farwells to come over.  They cover the doors (with wrapping paper) leading into the living room so that you can’t see in.  We can’t go into the room until everyone is at the house.  When we were little, they use to block the stair case with wrapping paper and we couldn’t go downstairs until everyone was awake.  It was so much fun to bust through the wrapping paper when they gave us the go ahead :-)   These days- we let the grandkids open the doors and go running through first….although sometimes I think Andy wants to secretly plow them all over and be the first one in :-)

All the grandkids opening their "mittens" while we waiting on the Farwells

Poor Carolina has been so snotty and stuffed up. Poor thing couldn't sleep the whole night....and it wasn't because of the hat her mom made her wear to bed :-) don't you just love her thighs?!?!? Oh....and Kaitlin got caught eating the puppy chow on CHristmas morning. This was after she chowed down on some cheese dip at 2AM after we got back from midnight mass....and she wonders why she doens't feel good :-)

Then the Farwells arrived and it was time to go in!!!

Lincoln showing Grandma his new slippers :)

Caroline just snuggled with anything she could find. We seriously went through 3 of those massive "tree trash bags".

GUESS WHO GOT A CAMERA FOR CHRISTMAS?!?!?!?! YAYYYY MOLLY!!!! And Lincoln snuck off and got some chocolate while we were opening presents :-)

Bella and Brady got a Rocking Horse from Santa...then uncle Andy decided he could ride it.

This is just how these two like to spend their Christmas :-)

She's such a thumb sucker

Carson got the whole cast of Toy Story and Baylor got a super cute monkey hate

I got a snuggle bug (gross picture....no make up....no brushed hair) and Carson is now a doctor like Papa :-)

Teresa sent over this awesome home made Irish Cream....we got halfway through it before Christmas Breakfast was over :-) DELICIOUS in the peppermint hot chocolate. By the way- this is when Lincoln totally got caught eating and entire bowl of chips.

Kids table....a.k.a- the "I boss you around and you boss her around and you boss him around" table.

Briley demanding Carson put on his crown.

Andrew testing out Ali's new camera

Sneaking some cookies

Molly testing out her new camera and Andy being creepy

Molly got this one of Jackson actually eating the Ginger Bread House.....I've never seen anyone actually eat the house after all is said and done...this was a first.

Andy loves Rex :-)

So.....I drank a fair amount at Christmas dinner and I was asked to take a picture of Sara & Ryan.....I just now saw how it turned out. Awesome.

Then I apparently put Brady's crown on him like this

Kaitlin just trying to get comfortable. Dear lord I love my littel snuggle bug :-) He even loves me after a bottle of wine!

What?? No one else lets their kids climb all over the tables and steal crackers??

Caroline caputred this moment of pure hoosierness in me. I switched to coke and rum...but still stuck with my wine glass....this is when they told me I couldn't hold anymore babies :-)

So the next day was pretty darn lazy.  We did nothing, but the Powells did come over and hang out for a bit!!!  Yayyyy :-)

I don't even know what this was....but the picture made me laugh :-)

Do polka dots make Bella's butt look big??

Papa and Andy took them all out to the hot tub last night. Obviously they were very excited :-)

These next pictures have a hysterical story to go with them.   At least we found it hysterical…don’t know if you will, but we did :-)  So- all the kids had some sort of riding toy with wheels and they were all riding in cicrles around the house.  It was just like traffic.   Well- Bella decided she wanted to join in, but the only thing she could find was her Rocking Horse…and he doesn’t have wheels.  She she just decided to rock/scoot her way around the house…….she caused a traffic jam.  Oh dear lord it was so funny! 

I gave this little girl a nice warm, steamy bath tonight to try and loosen up some of the crusty stuff on her nose. Poor thing is just a faucet of snot, but a warm bath always makes her feel better and it gives us a chance to clean up her nose without her getting furious.

piggies!!!!

Then she got to snuggle with papa :-)

It’s 2:30 AM….I’m going to bed…and possibly sleeping in till 9:00 again :-)