Take a deep breath, get a cup of coffee...this is going to be a long blog, I want to get it done in one sitting because I know I will forget to publish Part II. That's just how I roll.
It all started a couple of weeks ago. I had gotten home from the hospital that day and the kids came to help me. It turned out I didn't need much help, so they focused their energy on getting our Christmas tree up and running for the season. Kyanne, Ryan, Carissa, and Chris rolled up their sleeves and got it done.
While rummaging through the Christmas stuff, the girls found some old Christmas sweaters and decided to stage an Awkward Family Photos style picture. I think they suceeded in achieving their goal.
The following week we packed up and went to JoAnn's for Christmas Eve. Here the family eagerly awaits food and gift opening. Unbelieveably just two weeks earlier, Grama had brain surgery and was hardly able to move her left side. Now she's sitting at Christmas, business as usual. Watching her pick open pistachio nuts when two weeks earlier she could not lift her arm from the bed. Modern medicine (and Mom) are amazing.
Bolstered by a great meal and opened presents, we visited and enjoyed the rare experience of having everyone together.
Chelsea is putting on a brave face without Richard here to share her Christmas.
Kyanne gives Payton her bottle break.
Is that a giraffe sitting on the sofa with the Jenna, Chelsea, and Kyanne or is it Carissa "wit' her neck stretched stiff" like a character from her favorite Christmas book, Cajun Night Before Christmas?
Kyle is practicing for braiding Payton's hair on Jenna. It looks like he's going to need every one of those years before Payton's ready for a French braid to practice.
Christmas morning starts slowly with adult children. They've figured out presents will still be under the tree at 10:00 and that there is no hurry to climb out of their warm beds at 6 a.m. Thankfully.
The first one out to the tree in the morning is Nitro. He's waiting for Christmas to start.
Times have changed, but the after-present-opening rubble is the same. In only a few seconds all 30 minutes of my online shopping was obliterated. I cannot complain. I remember when it took DAYS or even WEEKS to pull a Christmas morning together.
Bear and Nitro played hide-and-seek all weekend. They have a give-and-take relationship. Bear follows Nitro around for a while then Nitro follows (and swats) Bear for a while. Below you can see the feline/canine standoff before the chase begins. It's kinda creepy the way Nitro's eyes are reflected in the hardwood floor in front of him.
I will leave you with a video of Bear enjoying tearing up a box. He's never been allowed to before and he sure enjoys it. He isn't eating the cardboard, just spits it out and tears of another bite. Yum.
Hope everyone had as wonderful of a Christmas as we did!
Maybe next year we should have an ugly sweater contest!
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