Christmas Fun

The past few days have been a blur of Christmas fun! On the night before Christmas Eve, Tatum had her two good friends over from school for a gift exchange. They watched movies, opened gifts, made hot cocoa and smoothies, ate a ton of junk, and ran around like goofy nuts.

I have to hand it to her, Tatum and her friends (Thanks Brandy and Cole for being so cool like that) were wonderful with the kids, included Jake (and me!) in the game we played, and were sweet to the little ones. Not many 16 year old can you say that about. They had a great time, although I can say they are too big of kids to be running through the house, wound up on sugar playing hide and seek!~Lol. (I was sckeered a few times at just the bigness and loudness of them, and it was eye opening to what it will be like when Jake and Matthew are teenagers...I yi yi!)

The next day was Christmas Eve and we started off the morning with our NEW family tradition of stockings given to each other. We drew names earlier in the month, and we were suppose to fill that persons stocking. My intent was to draw out the holiday a little more...make the gifts more appreciated being given at a different time than at Christmas morning...and to inspire them to buy and think of each other and to alleviate all the stockings being left up to me! I think it will be a learning experience. I almost cracked under the pressure of this. (we haven't done stockings in YEARS due to the excess work it seemed, and after much complaint from the kids, and this new brilliant idea I got off of someone's blog of the name exchange...I thought I would give it a whirl.)

Here was the problem.

I had to buy for Matt. (me doing the shopping)

Mike had to buy for Summer. (me doing the shopping)

Summer had to buy for Mike. (me doing the shopping)

Matt had to buy for me. (I had to help him)

Jake had to buy for Tatum. (I had to take him/help him)

Tatum had to buy for Jake (she totally did! with her own money. )

If you can see the reoccurring theme up there, I pretty much still did the stockings! And at a couple points in Target I did loose my cool. I think you read the post about me sucking as a mom? Yeah, that day. So, poor Matty is scarred, but sitting back I really think in time we can make this work. Summer will grow. Jake will soon become more independent like Tatum and hopefully follow in her ways. (he DID really help alot with Matt in the store) And Mike intended to shop for his person, it just got away from him this year. It was exciting for each other to watch open up what we got each other (I did have to act a little surprised some with Matty's, Lol...for goodness sake, I AM the one who checked us out of the store:) And the funniest part was how much Summer got into shopping for Mike! I took her to the dollar zone area and let her hold her own carrier basket, and she was QUITE adamant about some of the things she chose for him. His stocking did have a jump rope and snoopy magnets in there:) (But I slipped in a few things he needed too!)

Christmas Eve night was spent at my mom's house with my brother's family. It was fun and the food was great! We spent the evening opening presents, eating, and watching old home movies. My mom and sister in law had made my brother and me each a CD with all the old pictures and 8 mm films put on it from our childhood. Some were even back from when my grandparents were dating! You couldn't of given me a better gift:)

We sat a talked and planned about our summer vacation next year and then we played the new game I had gotten.

It is like charades but fast paced. Very very fun.

Before you know it Christmas morning was here! The morning was spent of course with gifts under the tree, and our French Toast breakfast. Nap for Mom and Dad and Summer:) And then back to assembly of toys! Here are some of the kids favorites...

watch out people! She is mean and pink on the road!!!

brand new skates for Matty

Mike came home from the store the other day with all this catnip and cat treats and cat toys. This is so funny because he is not the cat guy (but secretly becoming one I think!) I asked him what was up with all the stuff and he said "it's Christmas!!"

So now our cat are c.r.a.z.y. with all this crap in their system they are not use to, lol. Here is Abby watching out the window while we play...

here are the older ones with all the "techno stuff"...Geez!

And then we went to our annual Christmas day movie:) We Loved it:)

And me?? I'm busy tightening my butt right now (from all this eatin!) with my new shape-ups!

Too funny! It's like walking on a rolling pin. I think I'm gonna walk right into the kitchen and eat some delicious Christmas Lasagna!
(Mike is cooking up a storm)

So I hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful and spent well with their family. I am so thankful for mine. And I am so thankful for Jesus and the beautiful reason we come together today in the first place. Merry Christmas everyone. And Peace on Earth...