On Christmas Morning, it was just us Millers. The girls knew not to arise or appear before 7:00am, and of course very shortly thereafter we were all up and at it. It was a nice time! Here the girls are sharing Aleaha's new big beanbag, while coloring on Miri's new Hello Kitty bag.
Aleaha was a helper with the spuds for dinner.
And when Gramma and Grandpa arrived, they got more time in the kitchen with GrammaBon making gingerbread cookies.
They loved that!
The next day, all the cousins and aunts and uncles arrived. Happy chaos ensued! The kids were at the proverbial kids' table...
...while we adults enjoyed a peaceful meal together.
And then we took repose in the library.
We are a big group when we are all together!
And it was a lot of fun!
Sylvie serenaded us with some songs on her violin.
And then Aleaha and Sylvie joined together for a duet of We Three Kings. So lovely!
And then it was presents time!! Holy Moly, that was something else!
You can't imagine.
You have no idea.
There's a learning curve, you know!
We are all L.B.S. (Lil' Bit Special!)
The next day, the cousins had a grand time just hangin' out. The boys were under Aleaha's sewing machine playing a game for a little while. The girls were all over the place having fun. It was very satisfying to see and know they are all making memories.
That's what it's all about!
Kelly and Mommy took a walk and then snapped a few selfies. Cuz that's what everyone does these days, eh?
Aunt Kelly almost gave the kids a run for their money on the trike.
But in the end, it was Hank and Aleaha who really showed us how it's done.
They had a blast.
And that really is what it's all about.
So, let's revisit the time.....
0 nosebleeds or cat pee accidents (quite notable, in my book)
1 lost cell phone
1 lost earring
1 almost lost shoe (on the roof)
1 broken glass (not bad!)
1 viewing of Christmas Vacation
1 trip to urgent care (all is fine, and it was not related to the broken glass)
1 ham
1 pork roast
1 early departure (weather-related)
1 found cell phone (hooray!)
2 coffee makers going constantly
2 nights of "musical beds"
2 trips to Trader Joe's
2 pounds of walnut fudge
2 pillow fights (maybe more?)
3 pounds of apples fed to animals
4 walks in the woods
5 pounds of spuds
6 bottles of booze
9 loads of dishes
9 pounds of kosher salt
18 pounds of prime rib
19 strands of outdoor Christmas lights
~50 gifts boxed, bagged, or wrapped, then unwrapped
1800 miles driven by families to be here together
And a good time was had by all! (we hope!)
Thank you, family, for coming to see us at Christmas. We love you all!
.jpg)
