In Review...Kids Are Crazy

Well the Christmas tree and decorations are long packed away in their boxes. I have to admit to you, however, that the lights on the house just came down yesterday. Shame! The tree was bagged up, but still taking up most of my small garage until yesterday also. Shame, shame! But now, everything is finally in the attic. I promise! Well, except for the random ornaments that were squirreled away into the playroom by a naughty two-year-old. Except for that, the holidays have been swept from my home.

Christmas was lovely. We had a year of being at home as a family. Seth didn't even have to be at work until that night. (Last year, we had to have a separate "Christmas morning" two days later when he could be home with us.) We spent the afternoon with my extended family and even Seth's brother, Mark, came over. The girls ran around like maniacs all day until quite late without a nap. Hopers broke down and began crying until her head hit the pillow back at our house.

There were a few days of quiet, then... New Years! My sister and her family came to town. I had been missing my nephews terribly since she took them far, far away from me to horrible old North Carolina. But I felt a little better after I got to spend three days with them.

We had another mini-Christmas celebration, with the exchanging of gifts. My little nephew Nicholas is hilarious because he is obssessed with brooms, dustpans and vacuums. He immediately confiscated Tabitha's set when they arrived at my parents' house and carried them around quite tight-fistedly. Thankfully, Amie had the forethought to buy him a (talking) set for Christmas. He was able to sweep and vacuum to his little one-year-old heart's content all weekend.

The next day, we went to visit Seth at the Fire Station. He was working an overtime shift and wanted the kids to come out and visit him (of course all they really wanted to see were the trucks!).

My nephew Nicholas was a little nervous about driving, but I think he's getting the hang of it!

Noodle somehow managed to "noodle" herself between the back seat and the front.

Hopers would spend hours...no, days playing in a fire truck.

My sis, Tabitha.

My nephew, Nathan.

The next day we went the Mission San Luis for a tour and a picnic. The weather was overcast but mild in temperature, and if you know anything about my family, you know that we must be outside whenever we gather together. By the end of the afternoon, we were feeling ready to get home for nap time. I asked my sister if I could take a family picture of them and it turned into a family portrait session for everyone. Here's my favorite. Amie and G-Daddy with all of the kids. Ahhh...kids. What can you say?