We headed to Corvallis Thursday morning (4 days before Christmas). The kids were super excited to go to CiCi and Baba's house. We loaded up the car and it took quite a while with all the presents in their boxes that were wrapped. Luckily we were planning on taking my Subaru down since Sean had to come back a day early to work and so the Subaru had almost all of the presents in it. The kids elected to go in Sean's car with him, the Honda as they had more room so I got to drive down to Corvallis all by myself listening to my fantasy football podcast (I was vested since I made it to the finals in our Shiva league). We got to my parents' house at around 1:00 PM and the kids immediately began helping my mom with decorating the sugar cookies she made. We finished decorating and then the kids played for a while. Then we headed to a little Mexican restaurant and ate dinner there. On the way home we went through the old Pepsi Christmas lights (now Pastega) at the Benton County fairgrounds. That got us in the Christmas spirit. Then we walked around CiCi and Baba's neighborhood with Pumpkin and looked at all the pretty Christmas lights.
The next day, my mom left mid morning to pick Tory and Sierra up from the airport. I took Pumpkin on a run at Walnut Park despite it being freezing we both had fun. My dad booked a massage for me with his massage therapist Jennifer who is awesome at noon for an hour and a half. Then I met up with Baba and the kids at the movie Coco. I loved the movie Coco which was about a Hispanic family and centers around how they deal with dying as well as their ancestors. It was a really good movie but a little lost I believe on Olivia (who fell asleep during the second half of the movie). Brandon, Baba, and I loved it though. After the movie we headed home to find Tory and Sierra at home! The kids got to see Sierra for the first time and hold her. It was really nice seeing both of them. Tory's husband Tom drove from San Fran and arrived later in the evening with Charlie (their dog). Unfortunately, Charlie and Pumpkin were not getting along so we had to keep them separate the entire trip.
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| My running partner |
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| Sean and Sierra by the Christmas tree |
The next day was Saturday, two days before Christmas. The kids were getting super excited with Christmas fast approaching. After we had breakfast, the kids and I made the gingerbread house kit that I had bought from Costco. The kids had fun making the house and eating the candy. Then Rachel, Jasper, and Patrick arrive from McMinnville and the house get even more full. Jasper was happy to see his best cousin Pal Brandon. Olivia also had fun with her newest girl cousin Sierra and played and interacted with her. It was really fun to see the cousins all playing together and all of us sisters being moms! The husbands and Brandon went off to see the new Star Wars and then my entire family (Mom, Dad, and sisters and I) all got to go see Star Wars after them. It was really fun seeing it with my immediate family.
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| Working on the gingerbread house together |
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| Brandon being a goofball! Olivia wanted to eat all of the candy |
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| Playing with Sierra |
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| Sierra sure loves her big cousin Olivia |
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| Olivia and Sierra |
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| Jasper playing with horses |
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| Brandon and Jasper best buds |
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| Sean and Brandon |
The next day was Christmas Eve! The kids were super excited! We allowed them in the morning to open up their presents from each other. It was really fun to see them excited about giving each other their presents. Both kids really liked what each other had picked out. We also got some really cute pictures of the kids in their matching PJs Christmas Eve morning.
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| Jasper and Sierra hanging out under the play mat |
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| Olivia opening up her present from Brandon Christmas Eve morning |
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| The cousins together in their matching reindeer PJs |
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| Looking so cute in front of the fire |
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| Jasper holding Sierra's hand |
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| Jasper reindeer! |
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| Brandon holding Sierra |
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| Olivia finally holding her baby cousin with their matching PJs |
We spent most of the day getting ready for Christmas and making the sandwiches for Christmas Eve dinner that we have under the Christmas tree. Sean prepped the prime rib getting it ready for tomorrow and we pre-made our garlic mashed potatoes for the stuffed potatoes. It was a cold, rainy day (it actually snowed in Portland that afternoon) but we took the kids to Wildcat Park in the afternoon to let them run off some steam and get some exercise. We didn't last too long because it was so cold and it started to rain. Then we headed back home and got the sandwiches out to eat underneath the tree. My mom turned off all lights and we ate underneath the tree with all the candle lights. It was really pretty and the kids enjoyed their sandwiches and cookies for dessert. Then we got the stockings out and my Dad read "The Night Before Christmas" and we all hung stockings. The kids were really excited but Sean was able to get them to bed at a reasonable time. We did all the present prepping and I got to snuggle with Pumpkin on the couch for a bit which was nice. It looked like everyone was on the "Nice List" this year!
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| Playing Lava Tag at Wildcat Park on Christmas Eve |
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| Tire swinging it! |
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| Eating under the Christmas tree |
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| Christmas Eve feast |
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| The kids having a blast |
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| Santa Olivia |
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| Selfie with the kids on Christmas Eve |
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| Olivi a and Mommy |
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| Jasper watching Baba reading "Night Before Christmas" |
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| Listening to the story |
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| The stockings were hung... |
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- Pumpkin's view of all the presents
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The kids except for Brandon managed to sleep in pretty well on Christmas morning. Brandon was up very early but was super excited. We all lined up and came downstairs at around 8:30 AM. The kids got to open up their stockings while breakfast was being prepared. Olivia and Brandon both loved all the stuff they got in their stockings including candy canes, Pez Santas, chocolate Santa, a candy Figit Spinner, and then various blind bags in their stockings of their favorite little toys.
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| Going down the stairs to the presents! |
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| Seeing all of the presents for the first time |
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| Olivia looking at her stocking |
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| Olivia's super full stocking |
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| Brandon opening up his stocking |
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| The kids opening up their stockings |
We had a yummy breakfast of eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, and grapefruit. The kids did a good job waiting to open up presents through breakfast and then it was present time! The kids were so excited to open up their presents. At first we went in order from youngest to oldest but then we ended up skipping some of the adults (since the kids had so many presents). At one point we let the kids go hog wild and open up a few presents. Brandon loved his Nintendo Switch he got and Olivia loved her LOL Giant Surprise Ball. CiCi and Baba got Olivia a fun Playmobil Princess set and Brandon got a fun Minecraft lego set from them and from Sean and I. Brandon also got illustrated Harry Potter books, lots of Nintendo Switch games including Mario Odyssey and Zelda and some Beanie Boos. Olivia got a doll that looked like her with outfits, a Mermaid blanket, an Equestria Girl set, and a box full of various blind bags including LOL dolls and my Little Ponies. Santa brought both kids HatchAnimal Twins too. It was a very good Christmas, the best Christmas ever the kids said. It was fun seeing my nieces and nephews and my sisters open up their gifts too and like them.
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| Olivia, Tory and Sierra |
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| Olivia and Tory had their matching Santa jimmies on |
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| Olivia with Auntie Tory and Sierra |
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| Opening up presents is so fun! |
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| So excited for her coloring book |
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| So excited for a Nintendo Switch! |
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| Liv was super excited for a LOL Big Sister doll |
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| Brandon with his Hatch Twin |
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| Olivia was super excited for her Big LOL Surprise Ball |
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| Loving her doll |
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| Mermaid blanket! |
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| "riding her horse!" |
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| Reindeer Brandon |
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| Brandon and Jasper on Jasper's mat |
After we finished opening up presents the kids were super excited to open the packages and play with them. They first started with their Hatch Twins and watched them hatch. It was so cool they got different ones. Then Olivia got into her Big LOL Surprise Doll and took a bath so she could do the bath bombs (that had little accessories in them). She then went through several layers of the surprise balls and opened them all. It took her almost two hours to get through them all! Sean and Brandon got the Switch out and began playing it.
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| Liv was a bit impatient with her Hatch Twins |
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| Brandon's hatch twins hatching |
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| Then Olivia's hatched! |
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| Olivia looking at all her LOL balls |
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| Sean and Brandon playing the Switch |
Sean continued to work on the Prime Rib and the kids played all afternoon. Then we sat down for a early dinner of prime rib, twice baked potatoes, rolls, and cesar salad. Everything was so yummy! My mom made two pies, Pumpkin and Blackberry for dessert. We all ate pie and was stuffed! Sean had to leave to go back to Portland as he had to work the next day and prep for his inventory. We got the kids to bed and then we played a fun charade type game all together. It was a really fun Christmas.
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| Sean prepping the prime rib |
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| Our family by the Christmas tree |
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| Christmas day photo 2017 |
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| Sierra and I-Sierra was 5 months old |
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| Olivia and Sierra in their matching dresses |
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| Sean and I on Christmas day |
The next day we were all sad that Christmas was over. Tory's family left relatively early in the morning around 9:30 AM as they were heading to Bandon on their way back to California for several days. The kids and I hung around and played several of the kids' new board games. We went on a fun walk with Auntie Rachel, Jasper, and Patrick and then I had to pack up which took a few hours. We ended up leaving in the late afternoon. I had to work the next day and Brandon had basketball camp for three days while I worked. It was such a fun Christmas, we were sad to say goodbye to everyone.
