New Years Eve

The week after Christmas we headed to Hartselle to see the Whatley side of family.  And we got a HUGE surprise when Clay and Michelle showed up on the doorstep NYE evening.  No one knew they were planning the quick trip home!  It was so fun and so great to see them!!

We all gathered round to watch the bulldogs play.  The game did not come out in our favor, but we had a good time nonetheless.  

We also celebrated my birthday while we were there.  I had lots of help blowing out the candle!

That night, we played the "money game" again.  It was soooo funny to see everyone trying to pry open the box with gloves on.  

Oh!  And we let Will stay up until midnight for the first time this year.  All the younger kids went to bed, but Will got to stay up and be part of the party!

Ben decided that it sounded like too much fun so he woke up to be a part of the fun too!

And the mercantile opened back up for some cute little customers. 

The next night we had our "Christmas" and opened presents with everyone.

And poor Therese was just getting over the flu while we were there and really didn't feel great, but was still such a sweetie!

Lots and lots of dress up clothes for everyone...

The next morning, all the "big" kids sat around and played the fishing game. (It's funny to call June one of the big kids, but she is definitely not a baby anymore.)

"Go away, Anna!"

The cousins all took turns reading together too.  It's always so fun to see all of them together.  They pick up right where they left off!

A little bit more mercantiling...

The girls enjoyed some beautiful Irish coffees.

And we played the money game again with Patrick and Katie since they weren't able to join in the fun the other night because Therese was still sick. 

It was a fun filled week as always!  Not everyone has siblings or even cousins that are also your friends and who you enjoy each others' company so much.  I really appreciate that about our family so much! 

Happy New Year!!

Christmas at Home

After we returned home from Thanksgiving in Hartselle, we got to work on decorating our home for Christmas.

I just love the creativity behind these ornaments that Will made for our tree this year.  It's funny to think how our tree has changed over the years,  It started out perfectly decorated in only the color ornaments I chose.  Then onto sentimental ornaments as we had "babies' first Christmases." And now our tree is decorated by everyone and includes homemade ornaments too.   

Our newly designed wreath... 

A couple of weeks before Christmas, Nonnie came into town for June's school program and while she was here we decorated gingerbread houses as is tradition! 

June's school program: 

She may look unsure, but when the time came for our little bit to take the stage, she was as confident as she could be.  And so cute to boot! 

Gigi mailed June her very own pink Christmas tree!  June carried this poor little tree around from room to room, all through the holidays.  She loves her tree!!

At one of the basketball games, we ran into Santa.  June only got this close because he gave her a candy cane.  After the picture, she quickly ran off as fast as she could to avoid having to smile, wave, or even look in the direction of the jolly old elf.  Ha!

Christmas Eve mass at our church.  

This is always one of my favorite things about being home for Christmas.  I really like celebrating special masses at our home church. 

And Nonnie came to spend the week of Christmas with us this year too! 

More traditions:  Dan read the Night Before Christmas before bedtime and everyone got new pjs.   

And here is what Santa left for everyone!  

The "biggies" for the boys were new bikes. 

And Juney got a motorized ride!  Needless to say, she LOVED it! 

It was a magical and wonderful Christmas!!

Thanksgiving

Well hello there!  I have been AWFUL about updating the blog lately.  We have been super busy with everything from soccer to traveling to school but mostly I blame smart phones and social media where I can share a photo in an instant instead of taking a couple of hours to edit and upload pictures and then write a little blurb.  But, at the same time, I know how much I enjoy checking back on the blog to recount events/holidays/etc. so enough with the excuses and on with the "catch up."  

We traveled to Hartselle for the long Thanksgiving weekend.  Gigi and Jabo had set up shop in the Mercantile so the kids had a blast shopping!  

 We went to Grandmother and Pappa's house as well as Nanny and Papa's house on Thursday, so we saved our "Thanksgiving" dinner for Friday night.  

 The boys and their turkey legs!  Ha!

 Then, on Saturday, the guys woke up extra early to start the stew so that it would be ready to enjoy during the Egg Bowl game on television.  (Yes June is outside in 40 degree weather with no shoes on.  What can I say?  The girl is incorrigible!) 

 This little cutie stayed in her pj's and stayed nice and warm!

 While the adult guys made stew, Andrew did a little break dancing...

 And Will, of course, played a little football.

 The finished product got 2 thumbs up!

 The egg bowl did not!  It was the worse loss I can remember experiencing as an MSU fan.  And only because so much of the season was riding on the game and we had had such a fantastic year up to this point.  :(

 One last stop at the Mercantile for the kiddos before we headed back home on Sunday.