Family Christmas 2013

Well.  The family descended upon us this weekend for a surprise 40th birthday party for Bryan (my brother in law) and subsequently a family Christmas. Someone figured it had been eight years since we had our last Christmas all together. I remember that Christmas. I would prefer to forget parts of it. Dad and Nan had told us we had to be to their house by a certain time b/c they had a big surprise for us. Andrew and I racked our brains trying to figure out what the surprise was that we all needed to be there. In my head I made it out to be the biggest surprise I could think of. I was convinced (and terrified) they were going to tell us they were having a baby.  Oh my.  I couldn't even imagine.  

Thankfully everyone arrived on time and the surprise was they hired a limo to take us around and look at the lights in the city.  They were not impressed that I thought they were having a baby. Here's some pictures I happened upon when I was cleaning off camera memory cards this afternoon.

Yikes. Those two needed to go on a diet. Why didn't anyone tell them? Aren't real friends/family supposed to tell you those things. 

 Here we are in the limo. I look unimpressed. It's normal.

Classy.  Thankfully there was no one drinking out of pitchers this year at the family Christmas events or the surprise birthday party.

This year Andrew arranged for us to all go on a limo ride again and drive around the city.  We piled into the car and went and saw the sights. We are missing Bryan and Stacey b/c they had other commitments but we gained Uncle Dave (or other grandpa per Miss M) and Aunt Sandi. 

 These two will probably always need to go on a diet.  But aren't they cute!!

Mr. Man was generous enough to share his new toys with Jack and Miss M.

We were able to capture a picture of almost everyone.  Sadly, Mr. Man was sleeping and everyone else was in the living room and cooperating so we took the picture without him.  

Everyone left Sunday afternoon/evening.  Our house was a disaster mainly due to presents that needed to find a home and laundry spilling out of every room.  We have a babysitter come over on Mondays after school and I usually go run errands but this week I was so overwhelmed with the state of our house that I decided to stay and pick up.  I walked into our bedroom and it looked like a tornado went through and so I organized my new wallet instead of dealing with the disaster. I felt better after my new wallet was organized and then tackled all the stuff that was everywhere.