The hectic holidays...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! We had a great holiday season, but it was pretty hectic. Brad's mother kept Aiden the weekend before Christmas Eve so we could finish up our last minute preparations for the holiday (and recuperate from the cold we all passed around to one another). Aiden returned on Monday night and Gran stayed with us that night. She brought our Christmas presents with her, since we wouldn't see them until New Year's, so we opened our gifts Monday night. Aiden got a bunch of items on his wish list, and Brad and I were surprised with a Wii console and the Wii Fit board. Talk about a great gift! We've been wanting one for ages, but we didn't even put it on our list since we figured it was too much to ask for, so it was a great surprise.

Since Brad had to work Christmas Eve, we stayed home and actually got to celebrate Christmas on Christmas this year (usually we write to Santa and ask him to visit our house early, since we're always traveling on Christmas Eve). We opened our family gifts on Christmas Eve, where Aiden got a handful of toys from Mom and Dad and Aubrey, and Brad and I exchanged gifts. I cooked a nice Christmas dinner, and then we baked cookies and set them out for Santa. On Christmas morning, Aiden awoke to a pile of loot under the tree and we spent the next hour or so wrestling with toy boxes and trying to pry action figures and cars from their packaging (do they HAVE to put so many wire ties on those things?). Afterwards, I made french toast for breakfast, and then we loaded up and drove to Oklahoma to join my family for Christmas dinner at my grandmother's house.

In Oklahoma, we got to see many of my relatives, who all ooh'd and aah'd over Aubrey. We even set up the Wii, so I got to have a boxing match with my grandma and bowl with my cousins. We spent the night at my Grandma Charlotte's house, then went to my dad's parents' house the next day, where they got to meet Aubrey for the first time. Later that night, we drove to my parents' house at Lake Texoma, where we spent the rest of the weekend just hanging out, playing Wii and Guitar Hero, eating yummy food and taking naps (yeah!). We exchanged gifts with my parents, too, who completely upheld their duty to spoil their children and grandchildren. Sunday night we came home and spent the next few days trying to organize the house and find room for all of our Christmas gifts. Brad's parents arrived for a visit on New Year's Eve, just in time to ring in the New Year with our family and The Lashers, who came over to help us celebrate. Gran and Gramps stayed until Saturday, and we spent most of the time competing at Wii. I am happy to report I kicked Gramps' behind at hula hoops, although I'd say he demonstrated some pretty impressive hip-swinging action for a 40-something male--there are 8-year-old girls who are probably jealous of his hula hoop skills!

It was a great holiday season, full of the things that matter most: time with family, laughter, and loads of fun!

By the way, here is our attempt at a family pic on Christmas Eve. I took probably 15 shots, and the only one where Aubrey isn't screaming or sleeping is the one where we all were goofing off! Check 'em out: