Merry Christmas Part 4

Our last Christmas celebration was Christmas night with the family and friends.  We get together each Christmas night for dinner and presents for the little kids.  It's always a good time!  This year we had some extra guests, which was a great surprise.  My parents called in the afternoon and said they were out making their rounds to each kid's home to see what the grandkids got from Santa, and they were going to be heading our way later that evening.  So, we just said to bring their appetites and come to the party!  It was such a good time and I was glad that they could join us!

 That is sure a couch full of cuteness!

 Miss Ava and her Barbie doll!  

 These boys were determined to get their gifts open!

 This looks like a meeting of the minds, ha ha!

 Max, trying out his new selfie-stick

 Boys and their tractors!

Everyone seems to be enjoying the evening!

Merry Christmas Part 3

After the boys had played at home for a while, we loaded up and drove down the road to Grannie and Papaw's house for Christmas with Andy's family.  The boys were excited to get to open more presents, of course!

 Ben and Kyran both got storm trooper pj's!  They were pretty excited!

 Kyran got about every Thomas the Train toy there was.  He was one lucky little guy!

 Grannie was so excited to see what Ben bought for her.  It was a ring with a "ruby" in it (her favorite, and he didn't even know it)!  Grannie and Grandma Debbie both got rings from Benners this year.

 Love those dimples!

 Kyran wanted to "help" everyone open their presents!

Sweet Ellie!

Max took us back to the 80's with his new shoes!

Merry Christmas Part 2

Christmas morning found us up bright and early with our two little boys!  They were so excited to see what Santa Claus had brought them, and I don't think they were too disappointed!

As you can see from the pictures, the boys had a really nice Christmas and Santa was very good to them.  He was also pretty good to Andy and I, too.  I ended up with a new microwave and Andy got shoes and tickets to see 42nd Street, the musical.  Nothing beats watching the boys open their gifts though, and seeing their looks of pure joy!

Merry Christmas Part 1

We're finally home and settled back into a somewhat "normal" routine after a wonderful whirlwind of Christmas celebrations.  I'm going to break the posts up a bit, since we had three celebrations in two days...might be a bit of picture overload!  Our first Christmas was with my parents on Christmas Eve.  We always have a great time with everyone there.  The weather was perfect...since there's so many of us, we have Christmas in the garage, and this year we didn't need to run the heat hardly at all!

 Stacey and I decided that next year we don't need presents...just big boxes!  The kids had a blast in these!

Before we opened gifts, we did some family photos.  The little ones weren't thrilled they had to wait, but I'm glad we did.  Good memories of a great Christmas!

 Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Jim with their grands!

 Not our best family photo, but glad to have one.

 Stacey, Jason and their beautiful daughters

I think the caption by the tree makes this one the best photo of the night!  So excited for these two!!!

 Matt and Allison's gorgeous girls and handsome son!

 Aunt Cathy, Uncle Ken and their boys.  So glad they come and spend Christmas with us!

 Uncle Dave and Aunt Linda.  I love that they live so close to us again!

 Grandma Great and all her great-grands!

I love this one...the littles are cracking up over something.  Not sure what it was, but it must have been funny!

We are so lucky to have this lady in our lives.  Sue has been friends with Mom since Stacey met her daughter (Vanessa) in elementary school.  We've spent lots of time together over the years and we love having Sue spend Christmas with us!

After family pictures and some really great food, we got down to business with the presents!  The kids were beyond excited!

 Kyran was running around like crazy with his new hay baler...looks like Grandma Debbie is getting ready to go chase him!

 Ben was so excited to pick out presents at school for his family.  Grandpa got a pen with "Grandpa" on it.  He was so excited for Grandpa to open it!

 Solving the worlds problems...

 Grandpa Jim got a sweater to match Evan...two handsome guys!

Spike took in all the festivities like this.  He has such a rough life.  All that laying around, eating and sleeping sure gets a cat down!

We had a great time with family and friends.  It was a perfect Christmas and the boys made out like bandits!  We loaded up and headed home around 11:00 to set out cookies for Santa.  Ben was out like a light before we got to the highway.  Kyran, on the other hand, was still awake 2 hours later when we pulled in the drive, ha ha!  That one keeps us on our toes!

Making Memories

The boys have had so much fun at Grandma Debbie's and Grandpa Jim's.  They've been here for almost a week and they've done SO MUCH!  They helped decorate the garage for Christmas, made cookies and candy, rode in tractors, played with their cousins, watched movies, and eaten enough sweets for a lifetime.  It's been a crazy week and we've not had much sleep, but the boys have made so many memories.  That's what it's all about...spending time with their cousins and making memories at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It's so worth it!

 Kyran, Emily and Uncle Matt went on a walk.  It was such a pretty day!

 

 Uncle Matt was so good and let Kyran "help" him move the ripper

 

 Such a good helper!

 

 We all know who the "king" of the castle is...it's Spike.

 

 Grandma Debbie with her two "littles"

 

 These three were such good helpers with decorating the garage.  Their snowmen were perfect!

 

 One of Evan's Christmas presents.  Grandma did this chair for his Purdue bedroom.

 

 She made this one to match Taylor's room.

 

 I never would have dreamed we'd have a thunderstorm, followed by this beautiful rainbow, in DECEMBER!  This weather has been crazy!

 

 Celebrating this special girl's 7th birthday!

 Two cutie pies!  Can't believe how fast their all growing up!

 

 The three amigos!

 

 Here are two special ladies in my life.  Almost every childhood memory I have involves Aunt Linda and my mom!  Aunt Linda has been a staple in our family since I was just a little girl.  She's shared birthdays, holidays, and just plain old "nothing" days with our family and we love her!  I love this picture because these two ladies are as different as night and day, but together they make a great pair.  They even color coordinated for the picture and didn't even plan it!  Love them both so much!

 

 These kids crack me up!

 

Grandma Debbie got all the grandkids matching pajamas.  Taylor was a good sport and let me post this picture.  Evan was in the other ones, but I promised him they wouldn't go on social media.  I have to keep my word, lol!