After Christmas

A couple of days after Christmas my mom, brother, and the Joneses came down to visit.  We had SO much fun with all of these peeps!

The kids kept begging Zach to feed the fish... 

The kids testing out all of Olivia's toys...

I love this picture...

 This little girl loves her auntie...

My mom and brother left in the evening and headed home, while the Joneses stayed for a slumber party and a little ring-around-the-rosies...

A couple of weeks ago Anne was driving down the road and Jack started crying, "Oh no, the coffee, the coffee."  When Anne questioned him about what he was saying his response was, "I neeeed coffee, Mom!"  Anne realized that she had just driven past a Starbucks.  So... the next morning when we were having our coffee Jack insisted he needed some too.  He gulped it down and said, "Ahhh, it's tasty!"  (It was decaf of course.)



My mom and I have been doing puzzle after puzzle lately.  We were almost done with this one, and were happy to have Anne and Bryan finish it up for us...

The next morning Jack and Emily put on a music show for us...

 

We tried to convince them to stay another night, but they decided to leave late Thursday evening.  The sleeping arrangements were a little squished.

Friday afternoon my dad and Patti came down to visit.  I didn't get any pictures of them, but some pictures of Olivia playing with them. (You'll just have to picture my dad and Patti playing with her.)

We put Olivia in her jumper for the first time this month.  She loves it!  I have to say this is a good product.  I got it for Emily when she a baby and it's been through all three of the Jones' kids.  We're SO lucky to have inherited so many great things from them...

These two videos are really cute.  I couldn't figure out how to get them turned around...

She loves to lay up on her Boppy and play with her toys.  We just have to watch her very carefully because she scoots herself up over the Boppy and lands on her head...

She also started holding her own bottle this month.  She'll reach and grab it right out of your hands, put it in her mouth and start eating away...



Christmas

Sticking to tradition we went to my sister's house for Christmas morning.  I LOVE this tradition since it always all about the kids!  My sister and I love traditions so we started this one when Emily was a baby.  I bought her a pickle.  Each Christmas the pickle is supposed to be hidden and whoever finds it gets and extra Christmas gift.  However, we changed it a little to make it fair to all of the kids.  The pickle was hidden and whoever found it go to open the first Christmas gift.  We also started a new tradition this year... Elf on the Shelf.  I'm so excited for Olivia to get to participate in these fun traditions once she's little older.

 

 Emily then began playing Santa Clause delivering gifts to everyone...

Cesar joined us again this year!  We haven't seen him in a few years at Christmas so it was a nice surprise!

Olivia slept through her first Christmas morning.  I opened her gifts from the family with Emily's help...

Somehow my husband and brother-in-law always end up in bed together...
This time they had snuck up stairs so Bryan could show Zach his new projector.  It's like being at the movie theatre in the comfort of your own bed!

My sister made these adorable dinosaur hooded bath towels and dinosaur tails for all three of her kids.  They are so cute! 

 Charlie was walking around the house roaring like a little dinosaur...

Soon there was a knock at the door.  Usually Santa stays and hands out his gifts, but this year he just left his bag with a gift for each of the kids...



My sister also made this amazing puppet theatre for Emily with finger puppets.  Emily was trying to put on a puppet show for us, but when you have pesky little brothers it can be difficult...



Olivia finally woke up and got to open her gift from Santa's bag.  It was a little piano!

Once again it was an amazing time with family.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect Christmas morning for Olivia.

Christmas afternoon we headed up to my grandparents house for our extended family Christmas... 





Anne and Zach were the photographers for the day.  They took this picture of each other taking a picture...