Santa Packed a Big Bag

Christmas was low key this year. We have lots and lots coming up for the new year. Wonderful things coming up...Can't wait to post a sneak peak after the 1st!

Anyhoo, we had a quiet Christmas morning with a few treats from the big man.

Santa's sense of humor extended to putting Bubb's gift in the Pampers Diaper box. Threw him off for a few minutes but we convinced him to keep going...

The Sisters got all things "Domestic." Chris tells them to "go cook him something in the kitchen." They come out with a spoon saying "Taste, Daddy!!"

No need to wear babies anymore, we got strollers, Folks!

New Big Girls

We decided to try out the girls at the table without their trays. Worked out great for breakfast.

{She's gonna get me for this one day}

Have you ever met...

The Kleinpeters?

Oh my.

We're a big bunch.


I'm one of three,

Who belongs to one of eight.

As of right now, my generation alone is in the teens.

And my generation's kids total {as of now} 23.

{Are you keeping up?}

We still get together every year

At most holidays, birthdays and most assuredly for weddings.

The main holiday is definitely Christmas.

{Tidbit side note: When we were younger, my grandmother would have a cake with candles lit and have all of the grandchildren sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. One of my best Christmas memories to date.}

Lately we've taken to getting together the Saturday before Christmas day.

Why, you ask?

There's so many of us

and we party hearty.

So instead of being exhausted the day after,

now we are exhausted the day after

the day that we get together.

You understand, right?

I'm so glad you do.

Stelly Christmas

A few years ago, just like the Kleinpeters, The Stelly Family made a transition to celebrate the Christmas gift exchange the week before the actual holiday due to the chaos of the 24th.

You see, Mr. Jimmy & Mrs. Kay have a huge {and I mean HUGE} Christmas Eve Open House supper including family and friends from far & wide. This leaves very little time to enjoy watching each other open gifts and giving hugs, so we pushed the immediate family gathering up a few days.

This year, Mrs. Kay went all out with the table spread. Isn't' it beautiful?

We let the kids open gifts before supper. Alexander got DEVASTATOR.

It took his Daddy 45 minutes to put it together.

Nanny Liz always gives the best toys! It seemed to be the year of the Transformers.

Izzy & Sophie wanted to help Annie open Mary's gifts.

Caleb's gift from Nanny Liz was the Sister's favorite.....

...Until Aunt Crystal & Paran gave them couches! Yes Folks, we now have Couch Potatoes!!

Once the Dads had enough Transformers, they put the Sister's Tricycles together that came from MeMe & Poppie.

The Boys enjoyed pushing them as they giggled & rang the bells!

Bubb got a cool new green razor scooter from Nanny Liz & Uncle Jeremy!

We all ended the evening with Poppies delicious steaks. I didn't get any pictures of any of the food except for this one of Sophie gnawing on a corn on the cob!

Izzy & Sophie read Clayton bedtime stories before we headed home!

I know I have a big family because...

Birthday invitations span between 50 & 60 invites with most addressees in attendance.

Birthday parties are usually 90% family 10% friends.

Out of approximately 125 Christmas cards sent out each year, only 15 are friends. The rest are, yes, you got it, F.A.M.I.L.Y.

When introducing most people in my life to strangers, it's usually, "this is my cousin," "this is my sister-in-law," "this is my aunt/uncle."

We've only had to hire a babysitter twice in almost five years - they're in line behind Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Cousins-In-Law, Those twice removed and so on, and so on..

Our Kids have so many Aunts & Uncles, they even call our Friends "Aunt So & So," and "Uncle So & So."

The contacts in my cell phone labeled "friends" & "family" are definitely off in ratio.

We spend more time during the holidays on the road visiting family than staying home with our kids.

One Year Ago

In avoidance of all things domestic & responsible, I started looking through photos from December '08!

HOLY COW!

How much have things changed, is shocking to me! I mean, really! I know it's been 12 months, but to look back and see how much is changed in each of our kids is really staggering!

This boy no longer obsesses about Spidey - he's moved on to bigger and better technology. And, much to his Uncles delight, he's gotten more hair cuts this year than last.

Good Lord, Izzy! You have hair now! Not to mention, I think her eyes have become lighter. We also put her on a diet. Nah, just kidding. No really, she just started walking a few months later.


Sophie! Your cheeks are gonna explode! This girl still looks this happy when she wakes up after EVERY nap. No kiddin' there!

Can't wait to do this next year! Oh what a year makes!

Breakfast

This Morning, I found the house a little too quiet.

As I walked from my bedroom towards the deafening silence, I could hear, "I'M FINISHEEEEEDDDDDD!!!!"

Alexander was in the potty, do your own deductive reasoning for what he was "finished."

The doors to the utility room were open.

The girls were huddled around their own little makeshift table:

"Doggphooodd, Momma!!"

"Nummy, nummy, Momma!!"

{insert gaggginnnngg noise NOW}


I guess it's time to fix breakfast.