Christmas

Every Christmas Eve since Tanner was born I write a letter to each child in their Christmas card sharing with them what I feel about where they are in life and how I feel about each of them. ( I do the same thing on their birthdays.) I also do it in Rick's card.

I always plan to do this early in the season, but always run out of time. So now I just accept that I will do it on Christmas Eve, at 1:30 in the morning, the very last thing after all the presents are wrapped and placed under the tree. I always light this angel carosel and it usually burns down into nothing while I am writing.

Then I collapse into bed! This year Rick snapped a pic of me so I could include it in the card.




















Anna and me Christmas Eve sharing cookies....





















Had the whole family over again. Taylor got stickers with her present... and shared with Lonnie

and Lydia...

And EVERYONE. I found stickers in my livingroom for DAYS!

















Lydia reinacting a magazine add with her presents- I think she looks like she's in NY city stepping out of a cab with her shopping bags!









In my haste to finish cookies for Christmas Eve, I tried to make the pb kisses cookies too big. The result was they spread out and connected leaving some interestingly shaped cookies for Rick.... I mean Santa!






















Christmas Day





The pre-kid peace of 2 am















Adri















Anna's first stocking
































Anna enjoying Christmas breakfast













Noah turns traditional Christmas breakfast of petite quiche, cinnamon bread, and lil' smokies into art expressing his mood for the day (well for every day for Noah ;)






My Picaso tribute describes my mood after weeks of scurrying around getting ready and then 3 hours of sleep Christmas Eve




























Noah and Tanner get their favorite team jerseys
































































All the kids after opening their loot on Christmas Day
















Christmas day at my brother's house....













































Jake and Great Grandma cuddle on Christmas










Rick and I with Natacha's parents (whom we visited on the NY trip)








One of the best pics ever taken of my mom and me












Our new "sisters" picture- to update a frame I got each of us for Christmas about 9 years ago










Family portrait


Dad, Mom, Neen, Me, and Jef









Rick and his girls (well... minus the one who is taking the picture!)



Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! We weren't done with our entertaining... most of us would meet yet again two days after Christmas with...


ANNA's FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY!


Stay tuned!