We had a great Christmas together this year. It's still amazing to me to think that this is Connor's last Christmas as an only child. The thought is surreal and I just can't imagine what next year will be like.
Well, like everyone's holiday, ours is jam-packed with house hopping and gifts, food and chaos. We start out the holiday with Christmas Eve with the Barnes side of the family. We went to Mass at 4pm and Connor did amazing. We never took him for fear that he'd be "that kid" running around and screaming, but it's certainly possible that was a big, fat excuse. Apparently, it's an excuse that we just can't really use anymore because the kid loved it. We went to St. Andrews and it was a family mass, so there were tons of other kids there for him to stare at. Not gonna lie, he did way, way better than any of those other kids. At one point, they were projecting biblical images onto the walls around the alter and connor saw a cow. He shouted out Moo pretty loud, but it was pretty funny-to me. Otherwise, he grabbed the hymn books and pretended to read them. When he'd successfully finished one, he'd grab another one.
After church, it was time to head over to Jeff's parents house for dinner. We're really not a fan of their traditional dinner of cream of wheat, sour krout, sausage and mushrooms so Jeffrey and I started our own tradition a few years ago of cruising through the In & Out drive thru on our way to the house. That way we can pick at our "traditional meal" with the family and still be well-fed. After dinner, we opened up gifts. This year was a bit different that all years in the past though. Jeffrey has a large family. There are typically between 15-20 people there for Christmas and so the adults draw names and you give that one person gifts. We all always buy for the kiddos, but this way it's not out of control expensive for everyone. This year, there were a few adults who needed to opt out of the drawing so we just scratched it all-together. So, all the gift giving and opening was for the kids. I know that sentence should be followed by "and that's really the way it's supposed to be" but all I want to do is follow it up with "and it made it really boring for me". OMG. I'm such a horrible person, but i'm an honest horrible person. My name is Lindsay Barnes and I like presents. Is that so terrible? Here are some photos from the Christmas Eve celebration...
Well, like everyone's holiday, ours is jam-packed with house hopping and gifts, food and chaos. We start out the holiday with Christmas Eve with the Barnes side of the family. We went to Mass at 4pm and Connor did amazing. We never took him for fear that he'd be "that kid" running around and screaming, but it's certainly possible that was a big, fat excuse. Apparently, it's an excuse that we just can't really use anymore because the kid loved it. We went to St. Andrews and it was a family mass, so there were tons of other kids there for him to stare at. Not gonna lie, he did way, way better than any of those other kids. At one point, they were projecting biblical images onto the walls around the alter and connor saw a cow. He shouted out Moo pretty loud, but it was pretty funny-to me. Otherwise, he grabbed the hymn books and pretended to read them. When he'd successfully finished one, he'd grab another one.
After church, it was time to head over to Jeff's parents house for dinner. We're really not a fan of their traditional dinner of cream of wheat, sour krout, sausage and mushrooms so Jeffrey and I started our own tradition a few years ago of cruising through the In & Out drive thru on our way to the house. That way we can pick at our "traditional meal" with the family and still be well-fed. After dinner, we opened up gifts. This year was a bit different that all years in the past though. Jeffrey has a large family. There are typically between 15-20 people there for Christmas and so the adults draw names and you give that one person gifts. We all always buy for the kiddos, but this way it's not out of control expensive for everyone. This year, there were a few adults who needed to opt out of the drawing so we just scratched it all-together. So, all the gift giving and opening was for the kids. I know that sentence should be followed by "and that's really the way it's supposed to be" but all I want to do is follow it up with "and it made it really boring for me". OMG. I'm such a horrible person, but i'm an honest horrible person. My name is Lindsay Barnes and I like presents. Is that so terrible? Here are some photos from the Christmas Eve celebration...
Our little niece Madison Marie, Megan and Ryan's youngest. She's just a couple months old and I had to get a pic of her in her little santa dress. This poor little girl is going to be so incredibly overprotected...just in case anyone is keeping score it's 6 boys (including Noah) and ONE girl at this generation. Poor thing!
Connor in his Christmas sweater
wrestling with his cousin Kaden
staring adoringly at baby Madison
My SIL Sarah holding Madison - Sarah hates getting her photo taken. I told her that she wasn't in this one-because I'm a liar.
Our nephew Jacob loves his Bumblebee that we got him.
Connor attacking Uncle Chuck with someone else's light sabre thingy
this was another favorite present this year, though i see it doesn't really look like it from teh photo. It's a Mickey truck that Aunt Annie (Stephanie) got him from Disneyland. The truck holds the little cars that he loves. He broke it the first night, but we managed to get it fixed.
Uncle Ryan and and Aunt Bobbie (Megan)
omg. this was a highlight for me. Kaden is really into Star Wars. I am not. He got an Annikan costume and apparently all jedi's have hair like this. I just had to get a pic of his rat tail that came with the costume. (it's possible i got some of the star wars references wrong in this caption--i really just don't care enough to google it. sorry.)
Connor was way too wound up to stay still for a photo, so we took one just the two of us. :)
this is our nephew Jalen--an 8th grader showing off his new size 14 shoes. SIZE FREAKIN 14. He's about 6'1" I think and he's not near done growing.
After we got home, we finished building Connor's big gift for the year. Last year, he got his playroom and the big gift was the room and the table and chairs that he wanted. This year, he got a big boy bed...and the playroom became his bedroom.
Christmas morning we wake up, get dressed and the longest day in all days begins. My parents come over around 9am and we have a quick breakfast with lots and lots of coffee. Then the presents begin and go on for quite some time. After all the gifts and stockings are opened, we sit down to the traditional Christmas dinner, most importantly...the yummy ham!
cruel mama made him pose for a pic next to the pretty tree before the ravaging of presents began.
we wrapped up his pillow in the box and let him open that. then we walked him into his new room and showed him his new bed with the lightning mcqueen bedding he'd picked out previously. he was really surprised! we still have some arranging and decorating to do in his new room, but he's really enjoying it. The transition went pretty well. He's waking up a bit more at night but he goes back to bed and doesn't get out of bed during the night.
my mom got connor a wii for christmas. he's obsessed. baseball, golf, boxing, all of it. he loves it. jeffrey and i were pretty stoked as well. we've both woken up sore from the wii. who needs wii fit when baseball makes my entire body stiff and sore (that's what she said).
oh Papa. My dad thinks it's hilarious to buy really noisy gifts for Connor. Hilarious. Connor is really into cars right now-the movie and the little matchbox cars. This thing is a racetrack for cars that makes a horrible noise when they take off. We have a fool-proof fix for this--put clear packing tape over the speaker and then poke one or two holes in the tape so that the noise can still be heard...just not from three rooms away.
Thanks Papa for braving Toys R Us on Black Friday to get Connor his beloved Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
Papa (my dad) got Connor a ring toss game and he loves it. It's made of foam and he brings it out to the great room all the time to play. You can see the ring in mid-air in this shot which is pretty funny.
My mom got an iPod and doesn't give herself enough credit on being able to figure it out. So I got her an iPod for Dummies book in her stocking. :)
...of course there were baseballs
Connor with Papa and Grammy Van Hook
Our growing family...this is me at 18 weeks. i know you can't totally tell here but my belly has officially popped. I went from nothing to being all baby in the belly in about a week.
After presents and the meal at our place, Jeffrey, Connor and I head over to visit our family friends Carroll & Danny. Carroll and Danny host an open house every Christmas and it's a 'don't miss' for us. They breed, raise and train shelties so Connor loves that there are always so many dogs around. I honestly think they have about 11 at the house now, but because of all the people they weren't out and about this day. Connor had to settle for chasing around just one doggy that afternoon.
Carroll and Danny gave Connor one of his favorite gifts of the holidays...a fun tent that he went in and out of all day. It's in his room now and he loves it. He takes books in there and sits and reads.
After Carroll and Danny's open house we head back to our house and my dad and Corliss come over for yet another Christmas celebration. It's always a nice, low key end to a crazy, hectic day. :)
We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas as well - thanks for checking in on us!!
No comments:
Post a Comment