Guys, Christmas is the Best . . .

. . . When you have kids.

First, I need to show you our formal family portrait:

Doesn't it remind you of what you'd see on those Mormon Mommy Blogs?  I think the office chair and post it notes really pushes it over the edge towards 'editorially styled.'

P.S. How many photos do those bloggers take to get their kids all looking?  And looking perfect?  Or do they have perfect kids and I don't?

Anyway, Christmas is so fun with kids because they Love everything.  

Can you just guess what Santa brought?

Who knew a swing would be the most fun ever?  Thank goodness Grandma and Poppa live in the forest so Santa had tons of tall trees to chose from.

And you didn't even get to see the matching holiday dresses Aunty Alisa sent!

 Miss C.C. was killing it for this photo shoot.

Here is another Christmas Family Portrait.

 And yes I kept my footies on for this photo.

I promise C.C. wasn't that mad/ jealous at Annie.  

Or maybe she was - Annie WAS wearing a headband Mimi sent her.  

Brinks put her gift (Sous-Chef Attire) to use right away.  And thanks to the Christmas cookie dough Lucie sent we had things to bake.

And P.S. no one told me it gets cold enough in the South to Snow!

 No one told Lil' Bear either.

At least he got used to it.

 And I swear I'm taking photos and not just texting my friends at the mall.

Guys, it's me again

So the family had to pack up our house last week and along with the severe back pain we all have, there were some great discoveries.

This is a Christmas story where I look liked this:

(so you know who to picture through out this tale).

Christmas Eve 198_, the year the Cabbage Patch kid came out. My dad was out really late that night and when he came home I remember him telling my mom, in a proud but exhausted voice, "I got it."

The next day I got a gift with this nutzo-looking doll in it.

I half-heartedly said "Thank you."

I had no idea that this was the hottest toy of the year. Nay, the decade. I liked pretty dolls that looked like princesses, not thin-lipped, dimpled, yarny haired dolls.

My mom pulled me aside to tell me that this was a very expensive, in-demand doll and my dad went to a lot of work to procure one.

So naturally, I thanked him more profusely

and eventually asked for 2 more.

(As you can see, I had a type.)

My mom asked me if I wanted to keep them for my future children, but this pretty much decided their fate:

I was creeped out then and I am WAY more creeped out now.

Sorry dolls.