May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Oh my oh my. My heart is so sad that Christmas is over. Always is. But the older the kids get, the harder it is to let go. This Christmas was chocked full of traditions and memories...some old. Some new. Lots of laughs. Lots and lots of family time. It was just a good time. I am thankful to the Lord for so many things. How could this year be any more blessed? I think this one honestly takes the cake for blessings beyond measure. Now, I will try to recap:
Christmas Eve day we woke up and made a big brunch for my family to come over and enjoy. No pictures of the food. I made a breakfast casserole, fruit salad and burned the muffins while trying to keep them "warm". Also, we had a coffee maker incident. So, brunch went off with quite a few hitches, but bellies were fed regardless and surely, I can laugh about it now! After brunch, we wanted to make Santa's cookies. I had prepared the cookie dough the night before so we would be ready to rock and roll. Everyone really got into the cookies and I loved it. I realized that I did not have a rolling pin at the last minute. So, we used a large Mentos container to do the trick. Yay for stocking stuffers. Guckie and Mug rolled dough and Mug ate so much dough I am surprised he did not hurl.

REW wanted to help, but in her own way. She went upstairs and got her own cookie dough and cookies. It was SO precious because honest to goodness it was not prompted at all!!!!!!

We also made our own icing and again, Mug ate most of it. Just sugar upon sugar. Here is the cookie factory in action!

I like this picture because we look alike!!!

Busted.

Then, something super fun happened. SNOW! Good snow!

Everyone took a kbaking break to go play in it while it lasted. It actually ended up snowing on and off all day and froze a bit overnight!!!!!!

I will never get these little moments back, so I loved seeing this little one in the snow.

Back to the cookie factory once we all got cold. Uncle Casey was really decorating his batch!Aunt Kim was too!

Tristan opted for the ultimate blue icing experience. These were the actual 'Santa cookies'--lucky Santa!!!

This is Brent's masterpiece. It is Eppe Udoh. Totally see it.

After our long winter's nap, we loaded in the car to meet up with 22 other family members to go to the Highland Christmas Eve service! Our annual tradition!

Every Christmas Eve night EVERYONE {my family included} goes over to Gigi and Pop Pop's for soup, sandwiches and treats! For the past two years, we have also been visited by Santa himself!

Colton and Mug got to sit on Santa's lap! They were so cute! Mug was in heaven again, sitting on Santa's lap for the gazillionth time this season.

After a late Eve night, we retired back home. Mug was GIDDY about Santa coming. He woke up once in the night and said, "I thought I heard Santa!" It just makes me tickled because I can remember those Christmas Eve nights with such joy. It does not take much for me to recall that nervous feeling in my tummy wondering if I was going to get what I asked for! And hearing things all night!!! Mug woke promptly at 7:15 a.m. We had to wake REW out of a DEAD sleep--we have it on video and it is hysterical! That child looooves her some late morning zzz's! Mug walked down to a new John Deere riding mower {his dream} and REW to a pink retro kitchen! I was surprised with Santa's generousity in bringing me an I phone! Wowee!

After the crazy but fun morning at home, we loaded up to go to my parents for the day. We opened a ton more gifts and watched the kiddos enjoy their last round of opening stuff.

Mug got a new motorcycle! REW got one too!

The day was so casual, that REW decided to dine in her jammies. It sort of makes me giggle because I had 6 Christmas dressed for her and saved my favorite one for the actual day and she wore it for 2 hours. She had fun at lunch entertaining all of us by throwing her food all over the table!

This could be the worst picture ever so I posted it. Mug would not participate, Brent looks like he has been asleep all month, I look curiously pregnant and drained and REW looks a bit kooky. But this probably true to the fam most days!

So, we leave you with my biker mess in a smocked dress. What an over-the-top great Christmas!!! Full of memories for years to come!!