Merry Christmas!

This has been a VERY Merry Christmas!! We have had the most amazing few days here at my parents house...I have loved every minute of it! Yesterday was a blast...Meredith and Cory came over along with Cory's mom. Alieson and her boyfriend Robert arrived as well. Robert brought the most amazing spinach artichoke dip I have ever had, and that began the eating frenzy. We had queso, cheeses and crackers, chex mix made the "mama" way, not to mention sheets of her famous homemade fudge!! My dad and I made a last minute trip to the grocery store and ended up packed in with throngs of other folks with our same plan. That was a special treat for me because I never get alone time with my Daddy anymore and he is very popular at his store. I loved seeing all the people coming up to say hello...it reminded me a lot of being a little girl. I have lots of memories like that with him at his store. I felt like a kid again. My mom made a huge Christmas Eve feast and we all gathered at the table to eat and laugh. Colin has been an absolute joy the entire trip...he loved being surrounded by everyone at the table. In our family, we get to open our "Christmas Eve Gift" before bed. It was always the only present we were allowed to open on Christmas Eve and it was always pajamas. This year was no different...they are light blue with penguins. I love them and am looking forward to retiring the "cheeky monkey" pair that I have been wearing since last year. I love getting the new ones into rotation. ;-) I don't have the cord for my camera here, so the pictures will have to wait for a later post.

Today dawned bright and beautiful with just a slight chill in the air. Colin woke up at around 7:30, which was so late! We made pigs in a blanket for breakfast and opened a few gifts. Colin made out like a bandit....I still can't get over all the toys he received! Santa brought him "Elmo Live", which he thought was amazing. He keeps trying to grab his mouth when he talks, so it may be a few months before he actually gets to finish a story. This toy just blows my mind...I think the grown-ups had more fun than Colin did with it!

Meredith and Cory came back to the house later in the morning with Jackson and we were so glad to see him! The real present opening began at that point...the boys were knee deep in wrapping paper and having a blast. They were so sweet to each other...Jackson and Colin shared all of their toys! This is a shot that Robert got of all the action.
Colin got a gigantic pop-up play fort, complete with tunnels that connect the rooms. There is no way it will fit anywhere in my house, but oh well. We sat it up in the living room and the boys went nuts playing in it. That was a huge hit. Meredith ended up climbing in it...another great pic that will have to wait for my camera download. It was hysterical! Colin spent the whole day soaking up his Aunt Alie, which is no surprise. He has really enjoyed being around all of his aunts and uncles. Jackson got a car that required some serious assembly and I love that I got this next picture. All the men are working on it. Even Colin got in on the action and hid several of the bolts in Alie's boots. HA!
The first and last pictures are sweet shots that we got outside this afternoon...Colin went through several clothing changes after all the meals...he has been eating almost as much as me! We took hundreds of pictures, so I will probably be posting more later. I want to remember this Christmas vividly because it was so beautiful. There were so many moments over the last few days that made me step back and think about the gifts I have been given in my life. We are a blessed family to be sure. Merry Christmas to everyone!!!