I know that I promised to post next about the beautiful churches of France. I also realize that was quite a while back. I didn't even share Christmas and all the fun things we did during the month of December. But, believe me, there were plenty of good reasons why...
December was a very busy month for My Big, Fat Southern Family, to say the least. I had people living here with me for oh...20-something days. Yep, true story. We had crying babies and Christmas shopping and something viral that we have kept passing around for MONTHS!! As a matter of fact, I have it again right now (ugh...). AND in the midst of all of this I though I might blog. Except for the fact that my I-Pad first died and then the hard drive on my laptop had to be replaced. Sooo, now you sort of know what I've been doing for a solid month. I'm still planning to post about the beautiful churches of France now that my computer is working again but first, let me just take you on a little photo journaling through the month of December...
It all started out with Parker Ann and me decorating the Christmas tree while drinking hot chocolate out of our Santa mugs.
This was her first year to actually be old enough to help me decorate the tree and I LOVED it. Can't wait for the others to be old enough to join in too!
We also got together for our Rogenmoser Family Cookie Cook-Off! We had friends stop in to visit that day and their children got to enjoy this fun afternoon with us as well.
Beckett made himself our "Official Cookie Taster". He approved of everything he tasted.
Here's just a sampling of the yumminess we made that day...
And the first weekend of December was spent in Natchitoches, as usual, at the Christmas Festival. We spend the afternoon at a friend's house and also watched the parade and fireworks. We had all of the Grands with us except for Caitlin's 2...hoping they can be there next year.
When Caitlin did get in town, these two got to spend LOTS of time together. It's so much fun watching them play now that they are older.
In our attempt to finish our Christmas shopping a week early, Caitlin and I took these two, along with a baby all over town with us...
We tried to make it fun for them, promising treats (and crazy shopping cart rides...) if they would only cooperate for "a little while longer..."
Don't freak out...It was only me in that bathroom stall. Caitlin who had a baby strapped to her captured this shot.
Their reward for surviving last minute Christmas shopping with us!
Parker Ann joined us at the cupcake shop and then all three went back to spend the night at Poppi and YaYa's house.
And let's not forget that we have a Christmas Eve Birthday Baby; Lila Kate! Since they would be spending Christmas with Sarah's family in Arkansas this year, Lila Kate had her 1st birthday party with our family the weekend before they left.
Caitlin and I decided we also needed a treat for surviving that last minute Christmas shopping so while we were getting our nails done, Poppi bravely took these four grocery shopping with him! Yes...he is baby wearing.
While I was attempting to wraps all of those last minute presents, these two appeared with their moose mugs filled with Justin's homemade eggnog. I suppose that was Poppi's treat for surviving the grocery shopping trip with four little ones.
Mam-Maw joined us for our Christmas celebration and these two found another use for her walker!
This was "Christmas Round 1" with everybody in attendance.
It was just a little wild after all the present opening so this was the best picture I could get with all of the Grands.
On Christmas Eve, we went to our church service with David and Caitlin's families who would end up spending the actual holiday with us.
Christmas morning was magical with these two little ones in attendance. They woke up quickly and excited to see all Santa had brought them.
At one point, Beckett, knowing that he is getting a little brother soon asked his mommy, "Is this my baby brother?"
This is how I felt at the end of the holidays...I got these wonderful sleeping bags for the three older Grands at Pottery Barn Kids for Christmas. Eventually all of them will have one. Won't it be fun when they can all pile up on the floor at Poppi and YaYa's house in them?!
But even when everyone had left of the 29th, I was not finished with babies. Ryan and Allison took at little trip to Dallas for New Year's Eve and we got to keep Livie for three nights...
Oh, what a cutie pie she is! But FINALLY, when all of the kids and grand kids left I REALLY, REALLY was exhausted. Ryan asked me if we were going off the grid for a while. I said, "Absolutely".
It was a fun, busy, noisy, exhausting holiday and I'm glad the New Year has arrived. And now that my computer is fixed, I PROMISE to finish posting about France. And I have some more Spartan Race discounts to give out AND I'm reviewing some children's books and will be able to give out discounts to those too! Oh, what fun things lie in store for 2016! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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