The Holidays: A Photographic Review

The holidays are officially over. The tree and inside decorations came down today will come down this week, and the outside lights hopefully this week as well. We had a marvelous Christmas. Grayden had a million presents that he wasn't really all that intersted in opening, and we had an amazing meal with great friends. Grayden's first Christmas was all that I imagined for him.

On the Monday after Christmas, Gary had to work just outside of New Orleans. So on Saturday we packed up and went to Louisiana for a visit and a work trip. Kristen and Maggie, and later Erin, Grayden, and I got to hang out while Chuck and Gary headed to work.

We were supposed to come home on Monday evening, after Gary was done working. We needed to start preparing for our New Year's Eve party, and I had a list of chores and errands four miles long. Instead, Gary got held up at his job and we ended up staying another night and coming home on Tuesday. The cleaning whirlwind that ensued would have made anyone's head spin. We (Gary, Justin and I) did A LOT in a short amount of time. In the end it was all worth it. We had a great New Year's Eve and we were lucky to ring in the new year with awesome friends and family.

With all that being said, here is a pictoral review of the past couple of weeks. =)

  Christmas Eve

On our way to church on Christmas Eve

Like father....

like son

Family portrait

What? These cookies aren't for me?

After Santa came

Christmas morning

He woke up in a really good mood

Seeing his huge mountain of presents for the first time

Opening his first present with daddy

That first present was so exhausting

More presents

This is the face of one spoiled little boy

Gary was trying to teach him how to hold a bat

Gary made the prime rib for dinner. It was delicious, he did a great job

Kicking off the New Year's festivities. I clearly have no shame when it comes to wine.

Maggie cooking on her new play kitchen

A true Texan

Real cowgirls wear a tutu

Trying out Maggie's booster chair

Playing with Maggie's play kitchen

 

It's always a good sign when he's running away from the fireworks he just lit

Grayden and Daddy at midnight Michigan time. We celebrated twice.

Some of the fireworks scared him

The party. There were three Texans in attendance. The rest were all native Michiganders

Maggie was digging Grayden's tractor

Shots!!!

Chuck and Jason, together again

I'm not sure what to say about this. Some alcohol had been consumed

Justin had more than "some" alcohol

The singles corner. It's a wonder why they're single, huh? ;-)

Harmony

Erin

Grayden at the Texas New Year
(yeah, those are all of Grayden's animals and blankets in his crib. He likes his stuff, suffocation hazard be damned)

Maggie can hang with the best of us

This is not at all dangerous

Justin passed out on the kitchen floor as I was trying to clean up

So Chuck and Jason moved him

out of the way for me. =)

By the end of the night Slugger was exhausted and just wanted to take his blankie and go to bed.

=)