Merry Christmas 2013

Christmas! It's too much, just too much. And it is ongoing as we have another three weeks of vacation left. We are still in VA and Dave is flying to UT in a couple days to snowboard and spend time with family for a week while I hang here with my family. We have been having a crazy busy but fun time.

Since Dave has been on break we have done the following:

Visited Santa Land on the 7th floor of Macy's in Minneapolis.

It could have gone better.

*Let it be known that Dave is a stud who, when my bus transfer expired before we made it home from this adventure, and we had no cash on us to get a new one, gave me his student bus pass so Joe and I could ride and he gallantly carried an unconscious Riley the 2 miles home, tramping over snow and ice. *swoony swoon

We made lots of Christmas gifts:

We made corduroy purple monsters and little Where the Wild Things Are-themed hot cocoa mugs and plates for the babies. We transferred pictures onto wood and the babies donated footprints for cute "mistletoes" Christmas decorations. Dave made me this, the best scarf, during his bus travel and McDonald playplace time (everyone needs a red scarf! It is super awesome.) The children helped us make cinnamon ornaments to tag onto all the presents. Oh, and that blue material piled on the monsters' heads - toddler-sized snuggies I made while they were at the playplace. Also awesome.

We picked up our Harrelds from the airport and went to Rochester to visit Grande and Pops:

Next day, we drove through the night and four cities to get to VA. We broke down in Charleston and had to be rescued and don't I feel grown-up now.

Joe skyped with the Great-aunt Mel's puppet.

And took full advantage of "Uncle" Lora and Uncle "Dumpy"

Got their first music lesson.

 We got lots of thoughtful gifts.

Were thrilled by their first annual McClure Christmas concert.

Joe finally got to hold Mister in his lap, which he has been trying to do since they met a few days previously. Mister is the dog who magically appeared last Christmas Eve to charm everyone. We miss our Bear, who passed away just after Christmas last year, but Mister definitely has a place in our hearts now too.

Singing and dancing fit to wear a boy out.

Then we had a sister over-nighter in NC to see baby Lila. And those other guys :)

Abby and Lucy and Spiderman kisses. Andrea's face says it all. Bahaha.

You can tell who is feeding the baby.

Abby! ABBY! I love them.

What an awesome family - I wish we lived closer! But I am so glad we got to visit a little.

 We dropped Andrea off at the airport the next day, Saturday, and before we returned home we had a Hunger Games: Catching Fire/Coldstones outing. I felt like I was skipping school! So fun! 

It was good to get back to Riley and Joe and Dave and the rest of the family though. I am rather attached.

We have been caroling to all our surrogate grandparents, visited Lora and Darren in Christiansburg, attended church in the itty bitty Richlands branch, been swimming at the Y, and today we even got enough snow for a little sledding! Shew - no wonder I'm beat! All these danged family and friends to see and partying to be done - what's a girl to do?

This: this is what a girl's to do:

YOLO!

haha

Yep. Time for bed. Cause I just said "yolo."

Nice knowing you, '13! Smell ya later!