Christmas 2019

This year we got to spend Christmas with my family.  We spent last Christmas quietly in our house just the four of us and were a bit lonely.  I was so excited to spend this Christmas with my family this year and have a loud Christmas filled with new baby nieces and lots of people.  My mom always made Christmas so magical growing up so I love coming home to celebrate with my family and seeing the fun memories be made with my kids and nieces and nephews.  Olivia and I arrived in Corvallis Sunday evening and my sister Rachel's family was already there.  My sister Tory's family was flying in Monday evening and Sean and Brandon were driving up to Corvallis from Eugene Monday morning.

On Monday morning Olivia and Jasper had fun decoding the sugar cookies together.  They both were so creative with their decorating.  We were all excited to eat them.  We had a quiet day hanging around the house and playing and Sean and Brandon arrived in Corvallis.  Sean made a yummy ham dinner (with his holiday ham from his company) and we enjoyed that.  Tory's family arrived Monday evening in Eugene.  It was nice to have everyone home!  That evening I got some cute pictures of the kids around the Christmas tree (and Lulu) although Olivia was a bit grumpy.

Decorating Christmas cookies with Auntie Rachel

Jasper and Olivia working on their cookies

Cookies for breakfast!

Sweet Juniper

Lulu hoping for some Christmas cookie crumbs 

Lulu getting in the Christmas spirit

Lulu was excited to be reunited with Pumpkin 

Pumpkin doodle 

Yummy dinner

Brandon and Jasper by the Christmas tree

Olivia was a bit grumpy

She was happier taking the picture by herself 

Christmas 2019

Brandon 9 years old by the Christmas tree

Brandon and Lulu

Cousin fun by the Christmas tree

My parents' giant Christmas tree

Lulu liked laying next to the tree

The kids were super excited for Christmas Eve.  My family has a tradition of eating underneath the Christmas tree and the kids were excited for that.  They were also super excited for Christmas presents the next day.  We allowed Brandon and Olivia to open up their presents to each other that they went shopping for.  Brandon got a Pikachu hat, a stuffed Pikachu, and a weird stress banana.  Olivia got a Lego Frozen 2 jewelry box set and a Rubics Cube from Brandon.  There were some sugar cookies for Sierra and Brandon to decorate and Olivia helped out with the rest of the decorating as well.  Then the kids got dressed and we headed to Avery Park.

Olivia holding her newest cousin Callie

Olivia and Callie on the chair

Brandon and Pumpkin

We love Pumpkin!

Brandon by the Christmas tree

Opening up each other's presents

Brandon liked his presents

Olivia and Sierra decorating cookies

Decorating cookies for breakfast is so much fun

Sierra having fun with her baby sister

We have gone to Avery Park in the past on Christmas Eve with the kids.  Brandon loved the park as he loved trains when he was a little boy and there is a giant old train at the park.  The kids love playing on the train and there has been many happy memories over the years at the park.

The train was decorated with a wreath for Christmas

Up with Auntie Rachel on the train 

Lulu and Pumpkin had fun at the park

The kids all by the train!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Look at these two cuties with their matching bandanas

Sweet Olivia 6.5 years old

Resting after her adventure

Trip down memory lane 5 years ago in Avery Park on Christmas Eve 

Brandon loved the train-this was taken on Christmas Eve 2014 when Brandon was 4

We got back home and got the sandwiches ready for our picnic under the Christmas tree.  We usually have an assortment of sandwiches and this year we had tuna fish with melted cheese, turkey with cranberry sauce and havarti, ham sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, and our favorite cucumber cream cheese sandwiches.  We also had egg flower and hot and sour Chinese soup from a local Chinese restaurant (another tradition).  The kids got to open up their Christmas presents from Grammy and Papa.  Brandon got a cool Pokemon card set and Olivia got a Poopsie Slime kit in a Poop Emoji purse.  Both kids had fun playing with their presents and it made them even more excited for Christmas day.

Olivia resting with baby Callie under the baby mat

My girls

Opening up her present from Grammy and Papa

Excited to make slime

First batch!

Getting ready for some sandwiches under the tree

Brandon and Callie 

Enjoying sandwiches under the tree

Christmas fun 2019

Fun with the glowing necklaces

After dinner the kids got into their matching Buffalo plaid PJs and my Dad read the Night Before Christmas.  Then all the kids hung up their stockings.  Everyone was very excited for Christmas the next day but the kids managed to go bed.  My kids stayed up a bit later watching a movie in their room so "Santa" and all the presents could come.  It was quite the ordeal getting all the presents laid out and us adults finally went to bed around 11:00 PM.

Olivia and Samantha have matching nightgowns!

Ready to hang stockings

Helping Baba hang the rope

Selfie before Night Before Christmas was read

Listening to the Night Before Christmas 

Looks like Santa Claus has come!

Lulu felt like I did by the end of the night pooped out from all the fun

The next day the kids actually let Sean and I sleep in until 8:00 AM.  Sean started getting breakfast going.  We made the kids wait upstairs until everyone was ready and they walked down the stairs from youngest to oldest (just like we used to do as kids).  The kids were super excited to see all the Christmas presents and stockings!  They got to open up their stockings and look at the presents as we got breakfast ready.

My kids on Christmas day so excited to go down the stairs

Going down the stairs

Seeing all of their presents!

Opening up their stockings

Xbox gift card and Pokemon cards in his stocking!

Olivia and Sierra had fun looking at all of the presents together

Juniper having fun in her walker enjoying a snack

We had a yummy breakfast of our traditional eggs with cinnamon rolls and bacon.  The adults had lots of coffee.  The kids were super excited to open up their presents.  We went from youngest to oldest and all had a turn and then just let the kids open up their presents first.

Christmas morning breakfast

Opening up presents!

Olivia got a Holiday Barbie!

Looking for the pickle 

Brandon got a Fit Bit Ace 2

Brandon got a fun board game called Dragonwood from Jasper 

Giving Jasper a thank you hug 

Family unwrapping fun

Olivia holding her big present-an American Girl Doll of the year Blaire 

Sierra opening up her present form us a Frozen 2 doll and horse

Olivia got a fitbit for kids!

Showing Daddy her Fitbit

Brandon opening up his big present-a Beyblade Stadium set

Brandon got a Fortnite Loot Lama! 

Olivia got a giant LOL doll surprise 

Lulu enjoyed watching us open presents

Strong baby!

Lulu standing on her present 

Lulu got a cute stuffed reindeer toy she loved it!

She also got a scarf-we exchanged gifts with other labradoodle owners around the US

Wearing our festive lights

Lulu opening her last presents

Olivia with her fun American girl doll toys

I got some photos of the immediate family by the Christmas tree using my cool new tripod.

Lulu and I

Brandon Lulu and I

The kids and I Christmas 2019

Olivia and I

Love this one of me and the kids

Such a fun Christmas

Family shot! 

The dogs aren't looking and moms eyes are shut

This one is better!

CiCi and Brandon and Olivia

All of us!

Sean made the yummy prime rib for dinner for Christmas night.  We had our traditional twice baked potatoes, crescent rolls, yummy salad, and prime rib for dinner.  We had yummy wild blackberry pies for dessert and pumpkin pie.  I didn't get too many photos dinner time because it was all so good.  The kids had a blast all afternoon playing with their new toys.

Helping Dad with his prime rib recipe 

Dishing up

Dressed up for Christmas dinner

Everything was so yummy

The next morning Sean left to go back to Portland as he had to work.  The kids and I ended staying in Corvallis until Saturday afternoon.  Tory's family headed to Yahacts in the morning to spend several days at the coast being going back to California.  Rachel's family stayed behind and hung out with us most of that day which was fun.  We all took the kids to Wild Cat park to play before Tory's family headed to the coast.  The kids had fun making their Gingerbread houses and playing with all their new toys.

Cousin bath time fun!

All of us girls at the park

Cousins playing at the park

Working on the gingerbread house

Olivia having fun with her decorating 

The girls' finished product! 

Brandon and Jasper did an amazing job on their house

On Friday we had a nice quiet day.  The kids had a blast playing with all their new games and toys.  Brandon and I played a game of Chess.  We took the dogs on a walk in CiCi's neighborhood and went by Brooke's old childhood house.  We went out to a yummy dinner at Pastini's.  We headed back home after a dinner of American Dream pizza on Saturday.  The kids discovered a love for their new Floor is Lava game and we had fun with Pictionary as well.  The kids were sad to say goodbye to CiCi but I was happy we got to stay for so long.  It was one of my most favorite Christmases yet!

Brandon had fun playing with his new air hockey table against Uncle Carl

Out in front of Brooke's old house 

Hugging CiCi at Pastini's 

Snuggling CiCi in bed