It's Holiday Time!

Every year I look through the best pictures of the holidays, carefully choosing each one.  Posting only those where the kids are dressed perfectly and posing, I am smiling and standing "skinny angle style" and where you can see holiday magic feeling the air!  

Guess what?

This year you are getting it real, why not, it's who we are!

"Real" means pictures are not always clear and bright, some are dark and blurry because they are taken by me and not by Rand.

This is my favorite, Christmas tree shopping in Mesquite!

Notice you can get a Christmas tree or a blooming potted plant or two rag muffin children!

What are they wearing??

The Christmas tree is chosen and the parties will now begin!

1st one up......

- Gressmen Christmas Party / Brielle's Birthday -

Girls love to dress up and these three love to dance, so why not swimsuit tops for ballet outfits?

Normally I would just post this picture of our beautiful family sitting around visiting!  Telling Christmas stories from days gone by.

But the precursor to this event was a little yelling, threatening and a couple of rounds of "He is making a list and checking it twice".  (Oh ya, I totally went there with my kids).

This is a personal favorite....

a picture of my sisters and I working in the kitchen together.

That is what the holidays are about right?

But when I look at this picture - 

the "womanly insecurities" I usually can burry down deep start to creep out and I notice.............

that skinny Brooke's butt is about the size of Ty Ty's head, Ali's butt is only the size of a stack of cups and a pitcher of punch but mine is the width of a sink!  

Happy Holidays!

There is nothing I can find wrong with this picture other than these two adorable girls melt my heart!

Argh, Brielle you are a cutie!

My kids get Christmas all month long because with my family living far away we have a party with Grandpa Gressmen and Grandma Cherri and then a party with Nana Jean and Grandpa Hardy.  The fun for my dad is to see the kids open presents, so we now have the tradition that gifts are opened when grandparents are there!

My dad finds true excitement in getting the boys something that will make them scream and will make us  moms CRAZY!  

Dad and Cherri you did very well again this year!

Check out this reaction - good enough for you dad?

So sad this turned out so blurry!

KEEPING IT REAL

Next party 

Nana and Grandpa Hardy's

We had a grand time but I was a bit of a party pooper when it came to sledding.  Normally I wouldn't admit to it but this year we are keeping it "real" right?  The kids wanted to sled but I was so cold from the moment I got to Cedar,  so we just bundled up the kiddos and sent them out into the yard, (to tell you the truth they had just as much fun)!

Grandpa Hardy took pity on BMan and pulled him around the yard in the sled what a good guy!  He didn't even mention to me that I was a bad mom once!

Brooke kept the little ones entertained, where was I?  Oh ya, in the kitchen visiting,

taking full advantage of my little sister with her heart full of love.

Nana you are so cute, what are you laughing at?

Was it the fact that you got both my kids in their jammies, or was it the fact that I gave you flip flops for Christmas?

Nana scored big time with the gifts as well this year, I think she has secret powers from being a elementary teacher for so long and knows exactly what the kids will like.

BMan and Jake created all day with their contraption set, 

normally I would have made sure BMan was in the picture with his gift but he wouldn't sit still to pose for a picture so you get his gift with me reading in the background and Lu Lu sporting a fro watching a little Team Umizoomi!

Jake you are an amazing builder!

This is the darling princess tent she got for Layla - keeping it "real" means posting the inside of it after Layla covered it in powder and diaper cream!

And to think.... this was just the beginning,  

Christmas is still to come.