Don't worry, a better Christmas family picture was taken and I'm sure will end up on my blog but this one is just so "us." The older brother is "torturing" the younger teenage brother, Anna is yelling at them to stop, my husband is thinking it's all funny, the oldest and middle boy are getting irritated by trying not to show it, the little boys want to watch the older ones and not the camera, the little girls are posing sweetly and I'm getting mad!
It's December 26th! I used to be sad as a child that Christmas was over, but now as a mom of many, I say "whew!" I do love Christmas time and have such fond memories of Christmas as a child. I want my children to have the same sort of memories. I love to shop and I love to give my children gifts, so put the two together and this is just about the funnest time of the year to me. I have to keep an organized list of what I need to get and what I've already gotten after they each give me a Christmas list. We had a crazy but very blessed day yesterday opening presents and opening our home to 3 friends that had no other family to enjoy Christmas dinner with. But as I've gotten older, I love the day after Christmas. It's so nice to just be still and quiet, organize our new things, let the kids play with their new toys, clean up and not have to go to ANY store! Plus, tonight my daughter is babysitting as a gift to us and treating my husband and I to a movie date. Bliss : )
This is my favorite one.....candid and everyone happy
LOVE that photo!!! Haha!! I'm like you, the day after Christmas is always so nice & relaxing... love it! :)
ReplyDeleteOne of our family photo sessions ended with some kids in tears, so you did good. Bless you and yours.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo! We had one like that, too:) Happy 2013 to your family!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!! I am also a mom of 10 and we have the same thing going on here :) The day after Christmas is one of my favorite days. Advent is CRAZY at my house.
ReplyDeleteAdorable picture!! The uncensored ones are some of the best. I also LOVE Christmas time and everything that goes along with it. But there is a nice relief that day after where you can breathe. I swelled up HUGE the day after this year; I guess being nine months pregnant, staying on my feet for the last few days, and eating all that salty food. That morning I had to take my oldest son into the Dr. for a heart check by 8 in the morning. I had no babysitter because he is my babysitter. Hubby had to go into work this year, so I was dragging all of the kiddos into the Dr. with sick kids around us. Today, I have three therapies for our two year old. I thought they took off this week, but I guess many are working. And since we are not out of town this year (usually we go to WA), we are here. So, I agreed to have them. But I think if I could do it again, I would definitely take this week off. SO, hopefully tomorrow I will be resting more!! But even with all of the business, I am just SO thankful to be able to do it all and am trying to cherish these days. The kids grow up SO fast, and I am really trying to catch hugs and cuddles and smiles and soak it all in.
ReplyDeleteCara, I remember those weeks with all the therapy. It is so nice to have some time off. We are starting back up school tomorrow and of course I didn't get everything I wanted to get done over break but I'm trying to scrapbook today : ) Blessings and Happy New Year!!!
DeleteLOVE the top pic! Because I for one can certainly relate! :-) I also love pics that are real and preserve memories of what we and are children are like. Thanks for sharing your "realness"!
ReplyDeletehi,
ReplyDeleteI met you in Walmart today! You seem just as nice in person as you do in your blog!! Love reading it and so do my 9 kids, they were so jelous I met you and they weren't with me!
Happy New Year to you all!!
So nice to meet you too Suzie!! What a small world. I hope I run into you again. Blessings and Happy New Year!
DeleteLove the pictures! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your fabulous family :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, we are finally expecting our #10 (after 5 miscarriages in a row!)
We are due in May .... and it's a BOY!