Christmas Cheer

Merry Christmas!!!

The out-of-town family arrived and brought with them loads of good cheer...and presents! Grandfather & Grandma were their usual overboard selves. The United States thanks them for singlehandedly saving the nation from a recession. I'm also fairly certain that Toys R Us stock rose as a result of beating their projected sales goals. I know 3 little "wise" men that weren't complaining!

After Christmas Mass, we made our way back to the house to enjoy our traditional Christmas eve wine tasting! This year, we sampled wines from 3 different price points and determined that our palates are simply not sophisticated enough to differentiate. I guess that's a good thing, right? Bring on the cheap wine! Ha!

The boys passed on the wine, but not the presents.  Grant's new wagon was a HUGE hit! Good job, Grandfather & Grandma!

Even the bike left by Santa couldn't top the wagon!

Jaxon & Baylor received the much coveted Wii U. They disappeared within seconds after this picture, and I don't think they reappeared for a number of days.  I'd say Santa did good!

The other half of the family arrived the following day extending the Christmas celebration. Again, no complaints about the good cheer, great cooking, and additional presents. Life is good!

We tried our hand at cookie decorating this year. Some of us are better than others, but a little competition definitely yielded some impressive results!

The Jayhawk cookies were the most popular to eat. Probably because of their MASSIVE size!

I much preferred the ninjabread men!

This year brought us so many blessings. The greatest blessing being Grant, of course! We may lose control with the presents and overindulge in the wine & treats, but the true meaning of Christmas is never lost. As we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we are united as a family. Memories are created and traditions formed.  This amazing life and the people in it are the greatest gift! Don't ever forget it!

Brothers

No real story here...Just showing off my cute kids!

Rock Chalk Christmas

There's a quote that says, "True friendship isn't about being inseparable. It's about being separated and nothing changes." I can honestly say that we have true friends. Thousands of miles separate us, and we all lead busy, overly active lives thanks to careers and children, but we make the effort to stay in touch. There are definitely periods of time when the phone calls are few, but a quick text or family picture shared online keeps us all linked when the going gets tough.

Over the last couple years, we've made an earnest effort to gather at least once a year for a reunion. Yes, we missed one another. That's what spawned the idea of an annual reunion, but it wasn't until that first gathering in Napa that we truly realized just how much we missed interacting with our dear friends. For this Holiday Reunion, we made the trek to Kansas City since that's where the majority of our out-of-town friends live, and as an added bonus we could also visit some seasonably appropriate weather. It's really hard to feel the Christmas spirit in 80-degree weather!

Speaking of visits, there was an extra special visitor awaiting our arrival in Kansas...Santa Claus paid us an early visit to double check the children's wish lists and confirm whether they had landed on the under the naughty or nice columns. Since Santa brought each child a little present, I'd say things were looking good for them on Christmas morning. Although, Baylor seemed a little nervous!

While there were no tears, Grant certainly wasn't fond of Santa. He wanted nothing to do with the big guy! Each time we tried for a picture, Grant pleaded to be rescued from Santa's arms. I hope he didn't take it personally!

This is the best one! If you can zoom in, Grant's face is priceless! Priceless!

Another unsuccessful attempt at a smiling picture on Santa's lap. Grant just didn't trust the beard!

The boys LOVED the KU basketball jerseys that Santa brought for them. How did he know we had plans to watch our beloved Jayhawks play?!

Of course, Santa is a very busy man this time of the year and had to be on his way, but we too were about to pile into a sleigh. We were off to tour the city's Christmas light displays! Seriously? What a fun night!

This was the first limo ride for a few of the children, but you'd never know it. Watch out Hollywood! We've got a few that seem destined for stardom.

How do you possibly top a night like that? It was perfection! Luckily, there is no shortage of family fun in Kansas City. We decided on ice skating at Crowne Center. This was another first for a few of the kids. My boys did fairly well. They didn't resemble Michelle Kwon gliding over the ice, but they stayed  upright for the most part.

Our visit to the Power & Light District that night had to be the highlight of the trip for all the guys (big & small). This was our first Jayhawk basketball game, and it was a proud moment for Anh. He explained that the Sprint Center arena wouldn't have the intense energy you feel when the team plays at home at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, but it was great to introduce the boys to that level of passion. Baby steps, right? Maybe we'll make it to Allen Fieldhouse next year?

Now that their inner Jayhawk pride was sparked, we kept the ball of school spirit rolling and made a day trip to Lawrence to visit the University of Kansas campus. Anh & I took Jaxon as a baby to tour the campus.

Then, I took Baylor for a few campus pictures once when I visited without Anh. I know! It's not right, but he was busy and couldn't join me. At least we have cute baby Baylor KU pictures as a result of my selfishness.

So, this was our pilgrimage for baby Grant KU pictures!

This trip did more than just provide a little Holiday spirit, it cemented some of the friendships we value most. Time may be short and distances wide, but true friendship can withstand it all! There is no better gift!