Christmas 2010

Our Christmas was like a whirlwind from start to finish. It all started when Nolan appeared by my bed at 5:59 AM.

He had already spent the previous 59 minutes patiently reading a book in his room in hopes that the hands on his clock would quickly move up an hour.

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So... we all got up and headed downstairs to the living room where the annual Christmas traditions begin each year.

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(please notice how DARK it is outside at this ungodly hour...I don't think anyone else in the neighborhood was up yet)
This year, Nick made a birdhouse for Connor in shop class at school. He was so proud of it and well he should be-it's cut, sanded, and painted to perfection. Connor was proud to be the lucky recipient!

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I love this kid!

Hazel's big present was "baby". It's a small stuffed fox and she LOVED her "baby" as soon as she pulled it out of the gift bag. She immediately took her new love to her bed and even decorated her bed with a bow she found lying around. She's such a great dog!
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Bacon is a big deal at our house, so Santa brought Nick a stuffed version that says "I'm bacon" and Nolan got a Ba Co N shirt (periodic table of Barium, Carbon, and Nitrogen- yes we're nerds) and he was beyond happy to try out his new drinking straw goggles. (yes we're weird)

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(Left-right... Uncle Tim, Cousin Josh, Sister Sarah, Connor, and Uncle Russ)

Later on that day, Connor's family joined in the fun. Our house was stuffed to the max with all kinds of relatives from across the state.

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It was loud, crowded, and FUN.

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Connor's cousins- Christina and Erik. They are quite possibly the sweetest siblings I know.

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Here's Connor's Grandmother, Marie holding dear sweet Ashlyn. She was the youngest member of the family until we got the much anticipated news that a new baby girl was born to our ever growing family on Christmas night at 11:30!

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Connor's cousin, Kerrie had her very first baby that day down in California. The whole family was on pins and needles waiting and hearing the details as the day unfolded. Luckily, her daughter, Hero, was born healthy and everyone was thrilled to hear good news!

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Our house has a hard time catering to this large of a group but we managed.

I love Connor's family, they are a great group of caring people. Everyone chipped in by bringing food to share, making my hosting duties much easier.

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New babies, handmade gifts, lots of smiles, kids playing, yummy food, hugs abound, close family, and laughter is what I loved about this years' Christmas.