Christmas Day 2011

Finley was excited for Christmas morning!

Berkeley got all kinds of new horse paraphernalia and she was delighted!

Oliver has wanted one of these bouncy balls for a looong time!

Waiting to start presents!

Oliver was very patient while he waited his turn

Mason was all dressed up for Christmas...on his top half he was a chef and on his bottom half he was a plumber :)

Oh boy! A brand new doll!!!

Finley hopped right up on Hudson's lap to cuddle with him while he watched the game and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about that!

The big kids enjoyed a game of poker after dinner

The little kids enjoyed a movie after dinner

Finley LOVES her cousin Gracie!

More cuddling! Hudson - I have a feeling you're going to have to get used to all the girls wanting to cuddle with you. It's part of being so adorable :)

On Christmas morning (Sunday) Oliver woke up at 7:18 and Tom ushered him back to bed for a few minutes longer. At 7:28 he made his way back into our room along with Berkeley and they laid quietly in bed with us for another 15 minutes. Finally, when we thought they could no longer stand it, we went downstairs and discovered our tree full of presents!!! They were so sweet and thought we should wait for Finley to wake up to begin opening. While we waited, we opened/assembled all the gifts from Christmas Eve that never got put together and played with at Chris & Laura's house. Finley didn't wake up till 9:00 and we were so proud of them for waiting nearly 2 hours without ever once bugging us or begging to start opening presents. The highlights from Santa were: a basketball and hoop for Oliver to practice on, a rocking horse for Berkeley and a baby doll for Finley. After we quickly got everything cleaned up, kids dressed and car packed we headed over to Verl & Sherri's house at 10:30 for brunch.

As soon as we got there and got the kids in the door we realized we forgot all the presents. Tom thought I had packed them and I thought he had packed them so I ran back home to retrieve them! When brunch was over and we were all settled we began opening presents! The kids got all kinds of fun new things and played with their cousins. Andy & Andrea came up from California so the kids were thrilled to play with Blake & Mason. After presents we went to visit Grandma Sam and then ran home to nap all the kids. We woke them up at 5:00 and were back on the road to be back at Verl & Sherri's house for dinner by 5:30. After a delicious meal the boys played poker while the gals visited and the kids played and watched a movie. At 9:30 we came home, brushed & flossed the kids and collapsed!!!

Oliver woke up with a terrible cough & cold on Tuesday morning so we laid low and did absolutely nothing for the next few days. The following Friday we drove to the ranch in Yelm (one of Sherri's brother's has a friend with a huge "cabin" that we all stay at every New Years) and arrived there around 6:00. I ended up laying down with Finley because she wouldn't sleep in the pack-n-play since we were in a new house full of "strangers". It was a miserable night. She was awake the whole entire night and so were we. I don't know how people sleep with their kids. It is absolutely miserable!!! Every time I looked at her her eyes were wide open, but at least she layed in bed the whole night. She laid sideways and every time we tried to turn her straight she'd move back so Tom and I had the very edges of the bed. The next morning she had one of the most terrible colds she has ever had. Tom finally took her for a car ride to put her to sleep and by the time he reached the end of the driveway she was out. We left after dinner that night and when we got home we brushed & flossed everyone and again fell completely exhausted into bed. We are so exciting that we were in bed by 10:30 on New Year's Eve!!! Finley ended up sleeping for 16 hours straight and woke up the next afternoon a complete wreck. Her cold was horrendous and her eyes were practically swollen shut and her nose was like a faucet that never stopped running. Just yesterday she got some of her "perk" back and her nose is finally starting to dry up. Now it's just all in her chest. Berk went back to school today and we are all glad to be back on a routine. Having kids and doing everything for Christmas sure does make me thankful for all the years my parents did it. Parents always have a way of making everything look and seem so effortless, but boy, is it taxing!!! Loads of fun, but utterly exhausting!!! I would normally say I can't wait to do it all again next year, but that wouldn't be entirely true. I am going to savor the next 11 months of relative "calm" until the craziness starts all over again :)