Christmas 2016

To say we celebrated BIG the whole month of December is a huge understatement. Delaney was off for two and a half weeks which felt like two and a half years!!

We enjoyed every minute of her break and the holidays.

Sneaky showed up on December 1st and "hung around" and got into all sorts of mischief.

Luckily, However, Sneaky had to head back to the North Pole :-) Christmas Eve.

This Christmas will always be known as "the end of an era". Someone in the house was not happy, but, we now have not one, not two, but three artificial trees. They may all three still be up. Maybe we should just decorate them for Valentine's Day.......

We always read before bedtime on Christmas Eve......

I wish you could see the clock in this picture. It was officially Christmas! Delaney is a very light sleeper so there's a "waiting period" after she goes to bed before Santa can get to work! My "pregnant Christmas" Julie told me to enjoy my pretty tree because once Delaney came, it would be full of ornaments made at school.  I sent her a close up of our tree and said "remember when you told me the tree would look like this". Delaney never messed with our tree when she was a baby but somehow at age 6, she has redecorated it approximately 5,874 times!

Santa's elves had a heck of a time putting together her stroller and at almost 1:00 a.m., decided The North Pole uses cheap plastic and said the heck with it and left the carrier detached!

Delaney was so confused when she saw this picture in my phone. We got up at the same time (and she never saw me take it) and she couldn't figure out how I could take this picture after Santa came. She asked if I got up early and took it "ya Delaney, that's what happened"!
Delaney needs to stay out of my phone and mind her own beezwax #ooops

Santa told Delaney she left the best cookies ever this Christmas and really hopes she leaves them again next year. I'm telling you, they are like eating a glass (or two) of hot cocoa...AMAZING!!!

(Santa is also glad to see they are Limited Edition).....

Delaney (or I) thought it was too cold to go outside and leave carrots for the reindeer so we decided Santa could take them to them. Our Santa prefers egg nog :-) Either you love egg nog or you hate it (more on that later).

On Christmas morning, Delaney woke up at 8:45 (I was hoping for 9:00).....

Before she opened that first present, she ran to my stocking and pulled this out of it (I have no idea when she did this). Apparently, she can't spell MOM!

This is a major step up from what she got me last year.

She wrapped a box that had a pair of socks in it...HER DIRTY SOCKS!!!!

BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!!!!
(Even if it isn't Frye Riding boots)

Up at 8:45 and presents unwrapped by approximately 8:47!
She said "I just love the wrapping paper Santa used this year"

We searched everywhere on Christmas Eve for the bottoms to her Christmas pajamas.

I still cannot find them.

Her PBK knockoff sleeping bag #santashopscostco

#cheapplastic

Gotta find those bottoms.......

Elise on her new ride....

Braxon reading on his new toy box

On Christmas morning, Delaney was told to go put on her fancy gold dress, isn't it pretty???? #kidsneverlistentotheirmom #shewearswhatshewants #sheisherfathersdaughter #maybenextyear

Elise thought it was a pajama party (look at that baby bed head would ya)!

It's been a long time since we had a booster seat

and high chair in our house

Cherry bites (thank you Pinterest, no bake cookies and cupcakes). I also made an egg nog pie and uncle Mark was nice enough to try it. However, it was more like "egg nog pudding". It didn't set even though I made it the day before. It literally had 3 ingredients!! #onlyme

I think Dave's family got a little worried when I opened up a bottle of whiskey at 1:00!

Pomegranate Irish Mules...YUM!! (again, thank you Pinterest).

I had to laugh when I thought back to the last time we hosted Christmas. 'Twas 2005 and I was an "outlaw". I rented tables, chairs, flatware, china AND SHIPPED A KENTUCKY HAM TO OUR HOUSE!!! Fast forward 11 years and inlaw status and the menu was a little different....as in chili served out of paper bowls and a pizza for the kids! Having a chili bar worked so well it may just be our new tradition. And, I know the chili was good for the simple fact cousin Steven ate it...I repeat, cousin Steven ate my chili (oh, and there wasn't ANY leftover)!!!!

I know no one gave this baby girl a time out!!

Braxon was outnumbered by the girls!

Grandma Millie and her daughters (someone forgot to tell her to wear her black boots and leggings)

I wanted a picture of the kids in front of the tree, this is what I got!!

Ahhhhh, the hand on the hip pose AT SIX!

Silly girls....

After Dave's family left, we went to grandma and grandpa's house to play with "Alexa", or, as we will forever call her in our house, "Alexis", although she will never answer!! I feel like Alexa is going to come in handy with homework as Delaney gets older!! She's way smarter than humans #justsayin

The big hit this year was baby alive.

I can't think of anything we didn't need more than a new baby in the house!!
Delaney's babies and their gear go everywhere with us. We need a bigger car now....

Christmas didn't stop on Christmas. Why does Delaney look 12 next to Levi???

Levi, the only 4 year old I know who eats onions and olives! Delaney should take lessons.

Poor Luke.....

oh those eyes!!!

To go with those eyelashes......

And to those of you who always ask how Aaron is doing...well, you can see for yourself, he's about 6 feet tall and headed to college in the Fall where his momma went!!

We hate the cold and are ready for Spring. The only good thing about January as far as we are concerned is that's when we start planning our vacations. Spring Break is booked and our "framily" trip to the beach is in the works! Dave's friend said "do you ever talk about anything besides vacation".  I said "uh, not in January".

We can't wait to share our 2017 with you!!