It Was Holly and it Was Jolly: Christmas 2014

In total, I think we hosted 16 people, other than our family, for the Christmas holidays.

That’s a whole lotta crazy fun right there.

Let’s start with the Nutcracker. For the fourth year, my mom took the girls and I to Ballet Austin’s Nutcracker. As usual, it was fabulous. We’ve managed to time it so we arrive in just enough time to park, use the bathroom, pre-order our intermission drinks and find our seats right before the curtain comes up. This year, we cut it pretty close since I had a tiny window in which to nurse Gianna and make it back again for her next feeding! We even ran into my sister-in-law and niece after the show. Thanks, Mom, for making this such a special outing for the girls (your biggest one included!)

There was cookie decorating. I think we’re still on a sugar high from those. The girls helped me do the cutting and the filling in of the icing. And, after they went to bed I stayed up ridiculously late adding all the details. Next year? I’m sticking to 2-3 designs! I’m pretty sure the girls rank “taste testing the icing” as the best part. All the boys wanted was to eat the final result.

The kids had great end-of-year school parties but I neglected to take many photos since I was hopping between three. Will’s class went off-site for their shindig. I was just happy that all my kids wanted me at their parties and I didn’t get any eye rolls or “please don’t come” quips from them.

We hit the ground running after school let out and hosted Scott’s family for our weekend Christmas celebration. I think Uncle Cory wins quote of the week with this one. After unwrapping presents and figuring out where everyone was going to sleep, he walked in the living room and said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think your house was robbed.” Yep.

There was also the great helicopter debacle where the “big kids” somehow got the flying helicopters, given to the little kids, stuck in our trees. After 1,325 throws of the ball, we finally got them down.

We participated in the biggest conspiracy there is, gingerbread house decorating. I swear, unless you’re wood gluing those bad boys, they just don’t stay together. Somehow, Aunt Jennifer and I got roped into that job while the kids got to eat all the candy. #notfair

Before everyone took off, we set the tripod up in the middle of the street and snapped a few photos. I’m super glad no one has video of me running back to jump in this shot.

These girls. This cute. It’s almost too much.

I like to call this one: Evelyn, impressed. Gianna, not impressed.

We hated to see them go, but we managed to get the house semi-presentable again and then hosted my side of the family. You can catch that and our Christmas Eve par-tay in part two, scheduled for later today!