We hosted my family's Christmas gathering on Christmas day. It was a blast. Four grandkids this year, it's hard to believe that at this time last year I was pregnant with Michael. Now he is a happy happy 10 month old. He is all over the place. Seriously, if there was a race for fastest crawlers, he would win. He's standing alone now, which means that the latest Pettes girl should be walking any time. (If noone else understands, I know you will Micah =)
So here's the view from our landing at the top of our stairs.
We open presents one at a time from youngest to oldest. That way we all get to see what each other got and who they got it from. I love doing it like this. Gifts just seem so meaningless when you just tear them open and don't even know who gave it to you! And this way, it takes like 5 hours to open presents. You know how I like holidays =)
Michael got the sweetest elmo airplane ever from Nana.
Claire got a doctor set and a new Ariel doll that she was giving a check up.
We got to see our dear friends for about a minute (yes literally) and exchange gifts for the kids. And eat Mexican. Mmmm. Maggie didn't like the beans, though =(
Christmas day was just beautiful. We played football in the street, and then me and Adam took on my sister and b-i-l for a game of touch football over the fence at the park. I think we tied, but I hurt SO BAD the next day! I'm getting old...er =)
We didn't know how to dress, obviously.
Michael chewed on a dead worm just before taking this picture, so Claire was instructed to not let him get back in the grass.
We spent a few days in San Antonio, with my aunt and uncle and grandpa. Claire enjoyed the plane ride =)
Michael enjoyed Pawpaw on the plane ride
Really, they both did great on the plane. Claire loved having a bird's eye view of everything, and of course, Michael flirted with all the cute flight attendants =)
Michael with his great-grandpa
I love this, grandpa is so happy here because the kids are opening their presents from him. I will truly treasure these few days that we got to spend with him. He's 93 =)
My very sweet aunt bought tons of candy and had an egg hunt for the kids while we were there. (Hi Sharon and Jim, and grandpa, I know you're reading this!)
It was in the low 80's when we got there on Saturday, so we all played outside with NO SHOES on December 20th! (Nevermind that it was 30 degrees when we woke up the next morning)
When we got back we headed up to Cottontown for Christmas with Adam's side of the family. We had a great time, well, other than the 11pm waking of Michael. Poor kid, Phillip and Tracy warned us not to give him that broccoli =/
Anyway, Claire got the Ariel phone that she has been asking Mimi for for about two months, and TONS of other fabulous prizes...
Is this the cutest thing ever? It's M's new dinosaur, Spike.
Hmmm, what else can we squeeze into a week? How about a 1st birthday for the sweetest little nephew anyone could ask for...
Could they have been any more creative with this cake???
And Michael loved Addi's horse...I see a birthday present in the future...maybe.
So we're back on track around here. Christmas decorations are put away, no sign of Santa, except for the bulging toyboxes, that is =)
What a fun week! It looks like you are getting the hang of that camera...I love the picture of Claire holding Michael's pants, the one of barefoot Claire, and your family picture. Oh and the one with M on the horse. Who am I kidding? I loved them all!
Wow!!! What a FUN holiday! I don't see how you did it. I think I would be worn out. Your house looked so pretty for Christmas. I would love to see pictures of your house. It looks beautiful. Michael is really changing. I think that first year goes way too fast!
About next week...Jeremy will be out of town so we would love the company. Not that he has to be out of town for you to come, it's just that I really need some adult conversation when he's gone! Ash and I were thinking about going to Oneida on Thursday - Saturday but that's not definite. So Monday thru Wednesday is definitely open. We would LOVE a visit.
Wow - I don't even know where to begin on the pics - you really caught some good shots!!!! And I'm tired after reading all that you did. Sounds like a great time though. Someone helped me take down my tree today. Could not have done it without her - have no energy or strength right now. So much for the plan to bring Ashes to visit you!!!
Wow - what a great time. Weren't you just ready to crash once it was all over?!?!? I'm not sure if I've ever seen so many presents before in all my life. I've already started a goodwill pile of some of their new stuff that was trashy =). Am I a bad mom, or what?!?
Wow,looks like you had a very busy christmas,but it all looked like huge fun.The pics of Texas are so pretty,I love the one of all of you.Claire is adorable in her pink shirt,and Micheal is so cute I could just eat him up!Glad you had a nice holiday,and if we don't get to see each other soon,we(Karlie,taylor,daryl and me)might not make it.
Yes (thank you Adam), I am sure. When we moved to IN, we forgot (translated: were not asked/reminded) to get a seperate policy for it under homeowner's. They do not cover "personal loss".
I went to a salon that I have never been to before, and I think I finally found a stylist that I will go back to. She gave me a hot oil scalp massage. Probably the most relaxed I've been in a long time.
We have been so busy around here the past few weeks, but things have been wonderfully boring this week. Adam went back to work after three weeks off. It was great to have him here, but let's just say the past few days have been an adjustment for the kids (and their attitudes =)...anyway, I'll get around to my real Christmas post sooner or later. I know, you can't wait ;)
WHOA!!! I LOVE IT!!! And I can't believe it's you - seriously, are you going through a mid-life crisis ;). I never EVER thought you would cut your hair off again! It looks great!
Sooooo, what's the story behind "the" car???? I'm not even going to show Brad until I find out more ;)
That is my husband's dream car. Did Adam really buy it? :)
Your hair looks really good!!! I love it! I'm so glad you found someone you like, that's important. And it looks like she did a great job! You look adorable!
Nice Car! Ben got a Honda Accord....he may be a tad jealous if he saw yours!! Love your hair! I had mine highlighted for the first time ever, but I only had a couple of inches cut off. My kitchen is coming along....slooooowly. At least you can't see through to the attic anymore!! Pretty much waiting on cabinet doors now.
Tony got a Z?!?!? That just doesn't seem fair somehow. Oh well, at least Adam gets to drive it... I thought with the "healthy" comment, maybe there was a side agenda to getting the highlights out. Either way, I love it!
Forgot to mention it earlier but I LOVE your hair. It's so cute and I'm sure it's easier to fix! I need to get mine cut soon. I'm really considering a really short style, like a buzz or something. My hair is not on my good list these days! Miss you!!
HA! That^^ made me laugh out loud. Jessica in a buzz. I wanna see that ;). Funny, I'm growing mine out and youguys are cutting it off. Something strange is going on in the world...
don't want you or your visitors to see ads? join gold!
I forgot to mention that I did have small consolation in the fact that Claire puked while waiting for the doctor and the inconsiderate nurse had to clean it up. =)
Now I know that the following isn't nearly as bad as what a lot of people in this world have gone or are going through, but it was seriously the worst thing that our little Claire has ever been through (for which I am very thankful)!
The very last day of her antibiotics (amoxicillan), we found out that she is severly allergic to it. She was covered in welts and hives and her ankles, hands, and face were extremely swollen (think Will Smith in Hitch after he ate the seafood).
So itchy swollen little Claire made it to the Dr. office for a steroid shot, and an anti-inflammatory drug. She is still taking Bendaryl every 5 hours but she is almost over it. The drug just has to get all the way out of her system until she's 100%.
Side note: I was exceptionally happy with the on-call doc at the office that we go to and will probably change dr's. The nurse that morning, though, almost got a knuckle sandwich from me. I have seriously never wanted to hit someone that much in my life. She called us back to the dr, and after seeing Claire for the first time she said "Oh wow! What happened to you?" All in a very loud surprised and incompassionate voice. Yeah, I told her that Clarie didn't really know what was going on so that wasn't a very appropriate thing to say to her. Ugh. She was lucky I was holding a baby at the time or I really might have hit her. Okay, maybe not, but I so wanted to. She just got really quiet and then later was a bit over the top with her niceness.
So now Michael is taking the poison...I mean amoxicillan for his ruptured ear drum. He's fine, better than fine really. Just growing like a weed, eating us out of house and home. His favorite food right now is chicken nuggets from McDonalds. Hey, nothing but the best for our little ones =)
We're done shopping and wrapping, just waiting for Santa to come. Claire has asked for a purple candle in her stocking. That's it.
Speaking of Santa, she talked to him today at the mall. We didn't splurge on the $17 picture with him, but she did get to tell him about the purple candle, and that Michael wants a purple car. She also asked him if he likes Chocolate cookies and if he wants milk or water. Milk, just in case you were wondering. Walking away, she told me that that wasn't the real Santa, just the pretend one. =)
So here we are, all decked out for Christmas...
We enjoyed the snow on Thursday night, it was just beautiful.
Michael's getting into the Christmas spirit, too.
These are our stockings, a friend handmade them. Adam and I got ours when we got married and she gave us Claire and Michaels after they were born...
(and yes, it really bothers me that teh first two are farther apart than the others, but I'm too lazy to fix it. Guess it doesn't "really" bother me, then, huh)
ugh, what an ordeal! I'm glad she's getting better, but how frustrating to see your poor little girl like that. :( And does Michael really want a PURPLE car, or was the color an influence from her?? :)
ha - yes, we used our chains for the first time today. We didn't need them, and quickly realized it and took them off. But we got them because they're required if you go up on the mountain in the winter, and we do to go snowboarding.
No,she'll be there at least thru the middle of January.She is just off tommorow for the first time in about 5 days.They have had her working until 11 p.m. on school nights and during mid-terms week no less.
LOVE IT!!! Thanks for the new pictures of the kiddos too, I've already replaced the one on the entertainment center. They turned out SO CUTE! Gotta love Michael's vest!!! So what's this about buying a new camera, then going to have your pictures made? ;)
Thanks so much for the card,they are so cute,yet another of your talents,and that picture of the kids id absolutely ADORABLE.Merry Christmas,we love you guys.
Hey! Hope you all are feeling better! Thanks for the card and pic! (I love foggy nights... as long as I am home and don't have to drive in it. It IS creepy... but a good kind of creepy?)
Addi has trouble with her shins bumping into the wings of the airplane, so she puts her feet on the wings and inches it forward using her body weight in a rocking motion (very similar to the scooting on her butt that she did instead of crawling). She is doing pretty good. Her O2 sats are staying around 78% which is pretty low, so I suspect she will get scheduled for her next heart surgery as soon as flu season has passed and she has recovered from her tonsilectomy.
I hope everyone is feeling better! Poor Claire!
Your house looks lovely! What a beautiful home!
I lucked out with out stockings- the family that lived here before had 5 children and as their family grew they obviously put up more stockings. I have evenly spaced holes for any number of stockings, so I just have to figure out which holes to use for our number. :)
I hate that Clair is allergic - I am too, and I remember the time that happened to me! Ew! So your house is BEAUTIFUL all decorated, it looks great! The picture of Claire at the end is my favorite, she is such a doll!!
Yeah, I know I'm a pushover. But Kohl's was having a baby sale - 75% off! And there were lots of adorable things in the size and season my baby would be so I snatched up some things. I am keeping the tags on and holding on to the receipt just in case :)
We got the baby!! I meant to write you that day and forgot! I wish you could have seen Kathryn's face when she opened it - priceless =). When are you coming to see us??? ;)
It's very helpful! It's hard to try to get specifics when they explain something. A lot of times the terms they use are not the ones I would use for certain haircuts/color. It's very easy to get confused! So yes, take in a picture! :)
Wish we could see pics of your Christmas!!! BTW, did you take any good ones of the kids together? (yes, for the whole hour that we were together :-P). Did I ever tell you how wiped out I was after that trip? The girls did great - slept pretty much the whole way home, but I was like a spoiled brat asking every 5 minutes "how much longer til we get there?!?!?"
WHAT?!?!? Are you KIDDING??? As short as it was that one time that you hated it, or shorter? I'm dying over here! If you love it, it must be really, really cute!
