Christmas Celebration Number 1

I almost forgot to blog about my sweet BFF Marinda and our fascinators.

We wore these all day on our final student day.

Actually, she did.

She's more dedicated than I am.

I think it must have been her pageant days that instilled fashion stamina in her bones.

My ears started to hurt and I had to take fascinator breaks.

We were really popular with the children.

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on the Thursday before Christmas Sunday.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on Ole Big Eyes.

Baby Robby's sweet face made this Christmas even more fabulous.

Sister Cousins Caroline and Genevieve were about to get into one of their brawls when my sister pulled out these amazing art kits.

Crisis averted.

Art is really like therapy.

Caroline is very patient with G, but G can be quite difficult.

She usually chills out when she starts coloring.

I am learning that to avoid random meltdowns in public I need to start carrying Pirate's Booty (crack for G) and crayons.

Sharp ones.

My girl doesn't tolerate dull crayons.

Geez.

So when my sister pulled out the art kits it was as though a flock of doves flew in and angel harpists were playing.  She is always prepared.

Mother decorated for the holidays.

I mean someone came and decorated her house.

But mother supervised, so that's kind of like doing it.

It looked fabulous and I will clarify that her decorator just  "does the tree and mantle, Betsy."

She does the rest herself.

That sounds easy, but most everything that does not move is ribboned, sparkled, and firred up.

That means it is covered in fir.

Not fur.

Katie squeezed Robby from the time she arrived.

I put on my headpiece and started downing the bubbly.

Mother requested that no one (me) wear pajamas to her Christmas dinner.

I am notorious for not wearing real clothes 

around the holidays.

Or around my house

or your house, for that matter.

Don't invite me over unless you want to see my fuzzy socks and  buttonless pants.

Katie and Chip went to Old Navy and bought matching pajamas for the entire crew, just to contradict our momma.

They're funny that way.

After her wardrobe change sister was back to baby cooing.

My husband was there too.

Everyone slept in on Friday morning because we opened our gifts on Thursday before dinner.

Everyone but me, that is.

Genevieve likes to wake up early, and protocol states that I must take care of her since I'm her mother.

We had a leisurely breakfast.

Chip was squeezing Robby.

 Robeghan bought a harmonica for Trinity and a guitar for Genevieve, so they gave a performance for all of us in the morning.

The cousins got along very well all morning.

On Friday afternoon, we had our cousins over.  Twinnies John and Scott look nothing alike and are now 22 year old adults.

We are exactly 15 years apart in age.

Uncle Kent and Aunt Cindi came too.

Mother and her brother look quite a bit alike.

Aunt Cindi is not pictured because she was playing with my child.

It was a wonderful two nights with my family and then we left on Christmas Eve morning for my in-laws' house.