Christmas w/ the family

Christmas was a little different this year...

We had planned on doing our family Christmas on Christmas Eve, but the week of, several family members came down with something that none of the rest of us wanted.  So the day before Christmas Eve, I got an email that Christmas was cancelled!

That got my wheels to turning and it didn't take long before I had a flight booked out east for a little Christmas weekend get-away.

But first...I still got to see my family -- just not all together. 

On Christmas Eve, I went with Jason and Kelli to *attempt* church with the kids.  Even with getting there 30 minutes early, there wasn't a seat to be found in the whole church.  So we sat on the corner of the floor in the kids cry room...and ended up leaving quite early.  I mean, what's the point when you can't hear or see anything going on at the church service?

Christmas Eve mass.  Total bust.

At least we got some good pictures after church!

Later that night, I went out to Tony and Christa's to see them for a little bit, and to drop off an egg casserole for breakfast the following morning.  They were watching a Christmas movie that was too much for Hunter to get, so I tried to entertain him with legos (my least favorite toy ever).

I couldn't stay too long because I had to get home and make some Christmas treats to take with my on the plane the next day.

Who doesn't love a little Puppy Chow for Christmas!?

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On Christmas morning, I woke up by myself in an empty house.  :(  

Was a little sad (usually at least my mom is there with me!) but I got up, got ready, and went back over to Tony and Christa's for brunch and to watch the kids open up some presents.

My favorite kids in the whole world :)

Every year, we adult kids say we aren't going to exchange gifts...but every year, Christa breaks the rules and makes me something awesome.

This year was no different.

I got the coolest hat with a map of the world on the front and my initials on the back!

Love, love, love.  I'm always in awe of her creativity and thoughtfulness...

A picture of all the girls in our new hats Christa made for us!

(And in case Allie wants to know what she's going to look like in 18 years, she can just look at her mom!
They look like sisters!)

I flew out to Philly that afternoon for some Christmas fun (post on that coming soon...) and flew back to KC late - really late after a flight delay - on Sunday night. 

We had re-scheduled our family Christmas celebration for Monday night, so it all worked out.

Dinner at Houlihans, and then a little surprise for my mom:  a limo ride around KC to look at all of the Christmas lights!

I did my best to bribe Hunter with chocolate milk for a picture with me.  

As you can see...it never really happened.

Thankfully, Hadley was a little easier to work with!

Shockingly, we ended up getting a picture with everyone looking at the camera.  Not everyone smiling, but honestly, just getting everyone looking in the right direction is pretty miraculous with that many kids!  

After dinner, we shocked my mom by walking up to the limo and getting in.  Haha - she had no idea what was going on, but I think she really loved the whole thing.

But you know who really loved it all?  The KIDS!  Hadley - and then Hunter - both had their heads hanging out the window and just loving it.  Wide eyes and gasps and giggles.  They were just in awe and it was priceless.  

The pneumonia they are probably going to get from that probably won't be great, but I really couldn't make them put their heads back in.  It was freezing cold and their little ears and cheeks and hands were just frozen...but they were having too much fun! 

(I'm the worst / best aunt ever...however you want to look at it...) ;)

It was such a fun night, and I wouldn't rule it out as a new Christmas tradition for us.