Merry Christmas!

Christmas morning came all too early for the adults (who had stayed up until 3 or later). Jude and Lance woke up around 7:15 which actually worked out well since we needed to leave for Church around 9:50.

My boys. In my family, we always have to wait at the top of the stairs until everyone is ready to come down.

Can you tell I'm exhausted? I love the look on the boys' faces.

Merry Christmas!

Mason came up to wait with everyone, too.

Cousins. It would have been a great picture had Lance's eyes not been closed. Oh well.

Our family waiting to come down.

Right before coming down to see the tree. Thanks to Glenn for taking the picture!

Youngest to oldest, so Mason got to go first, then Lance and Jude.

Seeing the tree for the first time. Love the face, Lance!

Surveying the haul.

Stockings. Lance got a tiny Angry Bird that looks the same as the medium-sized one he has. As you can tell, he was thrilled! Jude just wanted to eat every piece of candy he could find.

Baby bomb bird. :)

Looking through his stuffed stocking.

Bubble gum! Thanks, Santa!

See that stroller in the background? Yep, my sister Amy got that for our family. I couldn't believe it!

Lance opened one of our family gifts from Santa--Lego Harry Potter, years 1-4 and 5-7. Awesome.

This was George's gift from me. He used to have a metal comb that he loved years ago but it got lost. So I searched and searched for a place that sold nice metal combs (not the cheap aluminum ones) and finally found a place in Chicago that manufactures them. Yay! They even engraved it for him.

Jude LOVED to open the gifts but wasn't too interested in what was inside after he saw it. He would tear off the paper of any gift within reach with reckless abandon and then move on to the next one. Crazy boy!

Rollerskates for Lance!

Quite the haul! Lance said his favorite gifts were his mini dalmatian pillow pet he's been begging for for months and his small travel chess set.

Jude's favorite gifts were his small skateboard, the guitar and his set of Wedgits that he's been playing with non-stop since Christmas.

George got me a pocket-sized video camera that is water- and shock-proof, a memory card and float strap for the camera, a baby name book, and some razor refills (at my request). George got from me his metal comb, some nice Sumotech hair gel, a Brooks Brothers gift card and the complete series of "Jeeves and Wooster".  Amy got us the stroller and some gifts for the new baby and my mom gave us our traditional $125 each to spend the next day. We made off like bandits!

And what did we give my family for Christmas?

Recipe books! George and I compiled about 100 of our favorite recipes--traditional family stand-by's and ones we've recently discovered--and made books for everyone in my family. Hopefully they'll come in handy.


After we opened our gifts, we got ready for Church. As I was getting our clothes out of the car, I noticed the frost on the ground.

This was about the extent of our "white Christmas" this year.

Pretty, but not the same as a blanket of snow.

After a short church service, we drove over to the Glass's house to celebrate the rest of Christmas day. When we got there, it was Christmas morning all over again with gifts to and from George's family.

I think George spent the better part of two hours wrapping Nate's gift--3 gift cards and a game called Jab. Each piece was wrapped several times with all the seams completely taped shut. It was a good time watching him open it.

Uncle Eric helping put together Jude's Thomas set he got.

The kids thought it was great, especially Jude who sat there just watching the trains go around and around. Thanks, Jen and Eric! Lance's under-armor outfit was from Grandmom and Pop Pop. He opened it and immediately put it on. I think he sports it rather well. I got a great exercise outfit from George's parents, some lotion and body spray from Nate and George and I got a beautiful duvet cover for our bed from Jen and Eric. George got probably 5 different sweaters to wear from his mom and dad, aunts and uncles. He was in heaven!

Carving the Christmas turkey showing off one of his new sweaters.

It was a smaller group this year--only about 20 people. The food was fabulous as usual and the company even better.

Lance and Callie

Bryce

Jude had a good time eating green beans and cutting all the food on his plate.

After dinner, we all rested, played games and talked.

Uncle Eric was so patient to help these kiddos play chess.

I think Callie won this time.

Nate and George playing Jab, a "real-time" boxing game you play with cards. I played a few times, too. It was a lot of fun!

Jen and Eric brought over a chocolate fountain to share.

Jude probably ate half the strawberries. Yum!

Dipping like a big boy.

A bib, a new shirt, and Pop Pop helped quell the flood of chocolate that had found it's way onto Jude's person, but it was still a massive mess. Worth it!

Lance and Callie playing Allen's new 3DS.

Callie got a set of nail polish for Christmas and couldn't wait to try it out on anyone and everyone she could.

Her mom made a great model for some practice.

As did Lance...

...and Bryce! What nice boys!

I don't think they minded too much. Lance's paint was a great green that glowed in the dark. :) He thought it was pretty cool.

All the grandkids with Uncle Nate.

It was a great day! We had a wonderful time with our families and felt so blessed by everyone generosity.

Around 9:15 that evening, I was pulling out of George's parent's driveway to go take care of the dogs at Aunt Linda's house when I heard a horrible crunch sound. I look in my mirrors and realize that Jen's brand new mini SUV is parked close to the car I drive (also Jen's car that she and Eric are letting us borrow until we can buy a car of our own). I pull forward with a sick feeling and get out to see what happened.

I had backed into Jen's car with Jen's car! The car I was driving escaped with a broken tail light and some small scratches on the bumper (no dents, thankfully), but Jen's new car was much worse. I ran inside and got George and Jen who were both VERY nice about it and then cried all the way over to my mom's house to pick up my siblings who went with me to my aunt's house.

Not the best ending to a great Christmas day, but at least everyone was safe and well. Thank goodness for insurance!