Side note before the Christmas post:
KB on her 16th birthday at Applebees... She wanted a steak for her birthday... and they knew exactly what dessert would make her smile... those two brownies and two scoops of ice cream with nine spoons topped off her birthday! We all enjoyed it! Happy birthday Sis!
Christmas this year has been the best... I have to say my second favorite... nothing will top the Christmas bringing home KB from the hospital, but this one is a close second! I couldn't have asked for a better time with my family! It wasn't the best weather wise, but we just turned on the air conditioner and pretended it was cold outside!
We started our festivities Christmas Eve at Betty Carrots! We had sub sandwiches from a variety of slow cooked meats, laughs around the table, and Mark, Ben, and BC pretended to be motorcycle drivers with her precious bandanna arrangements for our silverware. BC should be on a television show about how to make cute table scenes, dishes, and arrangements from the dollar store.... She has a talent for that!
Mark just before he discussed about the time in high school a yellow jacket bit his ear and he couldn't practice football because his ear was so swollen he couldn't put on a helmet. He said he wore a bandanna like this every day.... and I quickly thought to myself that I was glad I didn't know him in high school! Ha....
So... of course Ben needed to do it too....
And then we discussed how BC had her hair and a bandanna just like this the first night I met her.... I knew then that she was different... and she is... I love that about her... she doesn't care what people think about her... and she is quick to tell you what she thinks... she may not tell you what you want to hear... but she will tell you what you need to hear!
I loved her tree this year... Pat came for a visit and doctored it up... you can't see the beauty in this picture, but I think it was prettier than it's ever been.
I'm not sure if this Santa picture is new or not, but it sure is cute... I loved it too!
We continued with the game of balloons this year! My children think this is the best part of Christmas.... 30 balloons... money in each.... and this year everyone got six each! My children have their money stashed, but I think I'm going to request to get to play next year... I'm still a child at heart!
So every year Mark and Hannah somehow get each others' names for Christmas... Hannah makes me laugh so hard... I cry.... Mark had to wear his new elf outfit... and was nice enough to play jingle bells while wearing the outfit with the bells on hanging from the underwear... I really think we could be on a reality tv show... I'm sure that someone would sit back and want to watch this!
Waiting on the go signal to pop balloons.....
Will and Ben decided it was time for a little game of headbands...
Ben cheats... he gets it honest... Mark cheats at games...and so does Guille... always... so he doesn't have a chance!
Hannah was a good sport to play with the boys....
Notice in this picture that Rachel and Sis are trying to nap.... for the first time in my life... I didn't get a Christmas Eve nap at Mimi's.... I was laughing too hard at everyone else!
After Mimi's we left to head to church... I wanted to take lots and lots of pictures because the church is so beautiful at Christmas, but I thought I would be better off listening to the service... I did try to convince KB to get married at Christmas, but she refused... she said she didn't care how pretty the church was.... if she got married at Christmas she would celebrate her birthday, anniversary, and Christmas all in one month... I don't see her suffering any now for having a birthday in December, but I understand! I do have some really good ideas for a Christmas wedding... if only....
After church, we headed out in the rainy weather to the farm for appetizers and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs... Butch made it to church and out to the farm....If I said it once, I said it twenty times that I was so excited he was sharing Christmas with us this year! I know how lucky I am to have my close family here.... Fran on the other hand wants to know why in the world Jane fixed Butch a hamburger and didn't fix her one! Just kidding... but it makes for a good story!
Mama telling Jim that we are all going on a diet after Christmas... again... just kidding... but that's exactly what we all need after the last few days of eating!
We ran to Mama's after going to farm to get "grits"... we always have to go to her house Christmas Eve to get "grits"... usually they are upstairs in the attic at her house... and they are in a bag that the children can't look at! Maybe that is why Christmas was so easy this year... no sneaking... or at least I thought it wasn't... I had no idea what Mark was up to... Thomas might be old... and big... but he still digs under the tree looking for his name...
Mark was in charge of cooking the prime rib for supper Christmas night... he was checking measurements... on a scale... and he asked me to get on there and then hold that big thing of meat... and tell him how much it weighed... He cray cray if he thinks I'm getting on a scale for him to see my weight!
Sis and I were at Wal-Mart the other night and saw these t-shirts... we decided because the hot, yucky weather was going to be coming in that we would get these to wear... mine could easily read the McKinney family Christmas because it was good old fashioned fun!
The children after they put on their pjs for Christmas Eve... KB had requested a onesie.....it was too hot, so I had to get her an extra set of pajamas....
They were so excited...
And my heart is full because of those smiles... I do love them... they only got my nerves a couple of times today... but they really are good children who help me when I'm struggling and know how to make me smile inside!
The cat and dog don't like each other... But at least we got a picture with the animals too!
We started reading the Christmas story each Christmas Eve... we've been from us reading it... to them reading it... we finally made it all the way through without any wrong words... they are growing up so much... they are reading from Bobby's Masonic Bible...
My Christmas tree this year...
Christmas morning I always cook breakfast... this year instead of the honeybun cake, I decided to do something a little different... SLAP YO MAMA.... I loved this cinnamon roll creation... it was easy and delicious.. I had plenty of time to make it this morning because my children didn't get up until 8:30. We thought they would never go to sleep, so we tricked them and had Santa put their things in the office and the dining room.... that way they could get up all they wanted and come down stairs because they would never think to look behind those doors to see their goods!
Breakfast of sausage quiche, ham quiche, grits, and cinnamon roll cake....
I'm so glad that my children's grandparents are able to be a part of their Christmas morning... We know how lucky we are... family is truly everything!
And then... we head to Jane's for presents over there... we usually wear our pjs, but it was too hot at 11:00 AM.... so I pulled out my shorts!
Poor Guille... Mama put all his presents in three or four boxes... I got the most this year! Finally....
And this makes my heart smile... both the little boys got five or six books from Jane for Christmas... I love that they love to read now...
Guille stole my phone... our noses are huge.... we are swollen...
After Jane's... I headed home to get ready for Christmas night supper! There is nothing I love more than to entertain people... and tonight was SO MUCH FUN!
The kitchen table.... complete with my new place mats from BC... There are also boots on the table that have come from special people in my life...
The dining room table... it was Mark's grandparents... and I know they were thrilled to have it full tonight with lots of chatter... I used Boo-Ma's silver, MawMaw's glasses, and my china... that after twenty years still had the tags on some of it!
This table was for Ben, James, Mark, and me... I realized that when you host the party... you really never sit down... I now know why Mama never sits down when we are there...
And this is when my heart was so full I could hardly stand it... My mama, my mother-in-law, my sisters- in -law, my niece, my daughter... and the other two ladies in my life that have served as mothers to me... Lolly and Veve have their own grandchildren now, but they still love my children and me so much! I'm not sure where I would be without the ladies at this table....
And the men.... what can I say.... they loved the food, they loved the sweets, and they even stuck around and visited instead of leaving as soon as they ate.... except for Cole Baby!
The sweet "little" boys who aren't so little anymore.... but they will always be the little ones...
Daddy and JMac reliving some of the old days in McCormick... they get to giggling and make me laugh... I'm not real sure they should even be here in their 70s after I hear their stories, but I'm glad they are!
And this... this is family sitting around and visiting and having fourteen different conversations...
I wanted a picture... well... Guille decided he wanted to be in my family... and Ben jumped on my ankle.... such love....
Check out those shining shoes... the ugliest things I've ever seen in my life... I hope he likes them... maybe that is why Christmas was so easy this year... he wanted something like this... shoes... that I can't really pass an opinion about!
And then... there were no shining shoes! BUT... Mark doesn't know how to smile for a picture... we are all tickled because we know he isn't going to be "acting" right in the picture!
Thank you Lord for the many, many blessings you have given my family this year... we are so lucky and know that you have blessed us way more than we deserve.... a little boy with new shoes... a little girl with a car tag... me... with a new calendar for my kitchen that will be the envy of every OCD person in the world... and husband who throws things in like this on Christmas morning to surprise us!
I'm hoping this link will be live to click on and see what he did!
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