a day late- but just as great!

 Christmas Evening was our Christmas eve this year and it was splendid.  After we picked up Gramps, Nannie Annie, Daysa, Metta, and Clair from the airport- we all feasted on a fabulous Christmas dinner.  And then got busy with our traditions!

Best tradition ever is the christmas eve pixie pal gift exchange.  Every body picks a secret pixie pal back in October or December and has to home make a gift for them.  And then we take turns guessing who has whom.  I am so glad we were all together this year to do the exchange! much easier than via skype :)  I only got this one picture of the event- but Laney is holding the gift that she crafted for me.  Some amazing red flower felt accent pillows. Loved them.

Christmas morning was also just perfect.  Christmas is definitely one of the things that gets better with kids!  we all slept in until eight and then made our way downstairs for the chaos.  I made Henry and Zeb pause for a picture.  They were still pretty tired since Ike decided to wake them up because he couldn't wait any longer.

Here's our 'before' shot of the gifts. Can you guess what our little rugrats wanted for Christmas?  Cars stuff.   With a splash of Star Wars for Zeb.

I love their little faces here.

coolest hats ever that Grandma Pat made and sent!  Zeb has been buzzing around like an angry birds bomb since Christmas!

I loved the excitement of these rugrats as they inspected each new gift.

all of the cousins comparing cars.

Zeb kept looking for this one until he opened it.  We've watched it several million times since that Day.

and this little Milly goat takes after her mom, Laney.  She's all about clothes and hair and accessories.  She wouldn't take off her sparkly new boots ALL day.

All of the kiddos were pretty interested in the adult gifts, too.  Thanks Mom and Dad for the Kindle Fire!  Each of the daughters got one- and I think I'll even share mine with Kent :)  I've had to remind Zeb and Ike on numerous occasions that this was Kent and Leisy's gift- not theirs!!!  They both call it the 'candle fire'.

I am so so so so glad that my family was able to come and visit for Christmas this year!! definitely one of my favorite Christmases ever.

Zeb and Ike were equally as excited to have everyone in town!  I think I would have been a lot grumpier having Kent gone the whole week had I not had my family around :)

Thanks for the great Christmas, Mom and Dad!!