Christmas 2014 with Family

Just my snapshots below show some, just some, of our family Christmas.  It was all great and went way too fast.  The first thing is on Friday morning I woke up and there was Fox's food dish in our kitchen on the proper spot.  What?  They are here, and yep, I looked and the den curtain was pulled so the Schneider-Bateman family had arrived too.  We knew the Wroblewski family was going to pull in late Thursday night, but thought the Schneider-Batemans would arrive Friday morning.  Fun surprise!  We had a soup, salad and bread lunch provided by Greg and Liz, taco supper prepared by Andy and Raina, and then games and hearts tournament that night.  But, before the kids went to bed on Friday night....

Allowed to open ONE gift the night before our Christmas. [Fox is in the picture too]

My Mom, Grandma Dort, always called this "The Big Rip"

The biggest sized gift went to Sydney this year!

A quiet moment, Eli waiting patiently for it all to begin.

These three always settle in comfortably amidst the chaos...

She says "Well......." and then Syd tells us something very important.

Henry just LOVED his new globe.  Lots of turning.  Liz asked him where Lake Superior was.

Was Andy hiding in the kitchen in front of the two cookie trays?

Charley, aged double digits now, so, time for dangerous gifts?

Henry LOVED his Star Wars electric toothbrush.  I wonder if it made it home in one piece or did he eat it?

Mickey Mouse snow globe Emma to Hugh, fascination.  Charley in the background, keyboard from Great Aunt Nancy and Great Uncle Ed Roberts.

Practice

Makes perfect!
Gosh I sure love you kids, each one in a very special way.

Lots going on at one time.

Hugh got up from his nap and everyone watched him open his gifts -- special!

It's not easy to get them all lined up, but it sure is fun to watch!  Half of us were still in our pjs that morning, trying for a family photo "as we were".

Saying goodbye in the front yard after a family photo.

I must admit, I got very sad that night after every one of them left and Bob was snoring on the couch.  It was so quiet, they were all gone, no one was talking or running past me, no supper was being made, ahhhhhh it was all over.  The time was very special, it always goes quickly and it always will.

Happy New Year!