Christmas 2015

The room was waiting for the boys Christmas morning …

IMG_4908

The boys were waiting at the top of the stairs …

IMG_4918

And then the fun began!

Santa brought stilts and pogo sticks for the big boys and they immediately tried them out!

IMG_4926

Kevin must have been good this year because there were a few things for him under the tree as well!

IMG_4937

I love Christmas morning.  Grandmama comes over and watches the boys open and play with their gifts …

IMG_4939

The boys get such serious faces while they are checking out their new toys!

IMG_4940

And then the madness is over.  Everyone puts on something new and settles in to truly devoting time to their Christmas stuff.  Ricky got a new video game that he’d been wanting, the three middles got Legos that required assembly, and Bobby got cars and trucks and more vehicles than his little heart knew what to do with!

Later in the day, some of my family came for dinner.  The boys get to pick out Christmas gifts for their parents, one sibling, one member of my family from a name draw, and then a couple give gifts to Aunt Nancy and the others give to Grandmama.  I wish we could gift everyone, but other than making cards of love, finances just don’t allow that!  It is always fun to see what the boys come up with for people.  Tommy picked out a doll all by himself for his cousin Audrey – Ricky was set on a selfie stick for Uncle Tony – and a couple of the boys pooled their money to buy Kevin a mini-trampoline.  It really is a joy every year to watch them pick out gifts.  I only steer them a little and that is usually away from buying everyone Legos and stuffed animals!

IMG_4948

Ricky caught on to his stilts way faster than any of us thought he would.  He’s pretty much a stilts master!

IMG_4954

Uncle Tony is pretty good at them, too!

IMG_4955

After all the food and the games and the playing with toys, the mother announces that it is time to get ready for bed.  That can be so hard for a 2 year old to hear.

IMG_4957

So, so hard!

IMG_4962

But the fun isn’t completely over … first we need a new jammies and favorite Christmas gift picture!

IMG_4988

And then we try out Ricky’s new tripod so we can get a family picture by the tree …

IMG_4990

It may have taken many, many tries to get a good one …

IMG_5053

 

 

And then I need a picture of MY favorite things … these 5 boys are my favorites!

IMG_5097

Until they start messing around and everyone gets a big old headbutt from everyone else …

IMG_5073

But there is one more favorite thing I need a picture with …

IMG_5081

He’s my absolute favorite!  And then there must be a photo bomb …

IMG_5078

Finally, they are all tucked in their beds and dreaming of the wonderful day we had being together and remembering the birth of our Savior.

And the mom and the dad cuddle on the couch and enjoy a movie by the light of the tree!

IMG_5100

 

(and about an hour later, a nasty bug attacks the mother and puts her to bed all the next day.)

Merry Christmas!