Our neighborhood invited Santa for a visit a week before Christmas. It was so kind of him to come even though he must have been so busy! It was a very non-threatening atmosphere, so both boys did great. It was William's third Santa experience of the season, so it makes sense that he was a little more at ease with the big guy.
My mom and brother came in for a visit over Christmas. I was ecstatic to have them here for several days. The weather was crummy the entire time they were here, but we still had a great time. We visited with some very old (duration, not age!) family friends on Christmas Eve, and I came home in time to (slice and) bake cookies for Santa, put reindeer food on the lawn, and watch as Mikey tortured the boys with the annual reading of "The Night Before Christmas." I wouldn't have missed any of that for the world! I felt so blessed.
William actually listened to the story for the first time this year.
Ryan, however, was not having it. I snapped this picture (with my phone - camera was out of batteries) and picked him up.
I snuck downstairs after Santa was gone and took pictures of all that had appeared under the tree. There were no presents out until Santa came. The explosion was a sight to behold, that's for sure.
It felt so festive to have six stockings on the mantel.
What fun!
That is the most fun shopping cart I have ever seen. I found my phone in there this morning. I had to email myself and listen for the beep.
Poor Ryan was sick on Christmas. William was sick earlier in the week, and I just knew that would mean Ryan would be sick over the Christmas weekend (Ryan always seems to come down with William's ailment 5-7 days later). Alas, he spiked a fever at the Christmas Eve service. He was a trooper, but you can see in his face that he just does not feel great.
Yes, I can ride a toddler's bike. It isn't pretty, but it can be done. I may or may not have ridden it all the way around the house when William wasn't looking.
The joy on his face made me so happy.
Big brother is a happy camper too, although he has yet to really figure out his big boy bike.
Cutest moment ever - he didn't want to let go of the shopping cart, so he pushed it while he ate. Santa got something right!
By the time you hit the end of this post, you will be convinced that we never left the couch during their visit. That isn't the case. I don't know why, but we took virtually every picture there. Part of it was because the weather was so bad. I very much prefer outdoor group shots, but that just didn't happen. Oh well!
Note the Texas Under Armour hoodie we got Michael for Christmas. Perfect for a Texan in Connecticut!
Santa hats are mandatory on Christmas morning. I love that tradition.
One family Christmas down, one to go! We headed to Grammy and Grandpa's after Ryan's nap.
Why do we bother trying to take family pictures in front of the Christmas tree? Mikey covers the whole tree! Who on earth wants to be that tall? It's so much more fun to ask strangers to get stuff from the top shelves at the grocery store.
Here is your inside look at how photos really happen with two small children.
Love this picture. William and I are genuinely cracking up.
A totally acceptable family picture - but the journey was better than the destination this time.
William looks rather large when I hold him.
Aunt Amy is strong!
My mom cooked my very favorite meal for Christmas dinner, and both families ate together at our house. This is such a rare treat for Mikey and me. We virtually never have all those people in the same place.
Yep, back to the couch. This is the first picture of both boys and their aunt and uncle.
Ryan does not look nearly as bad as he felt! Poor guy spent some of Christmas night shivering as his fever went up. That was a new one for me, and it stressed me out...but having two knowledgeable grandmothers there helped me relax.
William was about five minutes past his photo tolerance. He was SICK and TIRED of us making him take pictures. Bribes do help though.
The fishing puzzle from PawPaw was an instant hit.
Emmy loves to sleep on anything...towels, shirts, pillows, and apparently tree skirts.
Jennifer and Marsha came by for a visit the day after Christmas. I was so glad they got to see everyone! Unfortunately, Ryan was feeling downright terrible that morning - he kept falling and hitting his head on stuff. My mom caught whatever bug Ryan had, and she said that she had a day when her equilibrium felt off. That must be hard when you are 13 months old and already a shaky walker! This picture was taken before his nap, and he was beyond ready.
The boys played a hotly contested game of Candy Land.
William legitimately won the game. Yay!
The Clarkes (sans Katie, who was in some exotic European locale) and Mimi drove down for a quick visit the day after Christmas.
Aunt Lisa dove right in to play with William and his new garbage truck.
Annie instantly stole Ryan's heart. He still wasn't feeling well, but he sat on her lap, completely content, for the longest time.
We were so glad they made the effort to come down to Houston. The Clarkes never shy away from a road trip, that's for sure!
Two peas in a pod!
I had to keep up the tradition of torturing Michael with photos of him and his nephew(s) right before they part ways at the end of a trip.
Yep, that's us. On a couch. We got a blue couch this week, so at least we can spice things up with a new backdrop next time.
Wouldn't you know it? This was the weather we had the day after Mom and Michael left.
Mikey has been breaking in his new baseball glove.
Ryan looks tentative here, but he is non-stop walking now. He walks with a purpose and some crazy speed.
1 comment:
aww! I just love your photos and commentary! What a wonderful Christmas you had with both sides of the family.
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