Menzie Clan Adventures!: A Very Merry Christmas 2012!

Christmas 2012 was the first Christmas since getting married that we did not have to get on a plane to visit family, or vice versa. It was, um, AWESOME! We left NOVA on Saturday, December 22nd at 9am to try to beat the traffic. HA! It still took us over 3 hours to get to Richmond. Unbelievable. I do not get it. But, I digress. My mom and I took Owen and Claire to see the Nutcracker (not THE Nutcracker in Richmond but it was a very good production!) and they loved it. Well, Claire did until she fell asleep in my arms during Act 2. Greg and family came over Sunday for dinner as our Christmas dinner since Neil would not be with us due to having to work the 25th and 26th. The kids decorated gingerbread houses as part of the 5th Annual Menzie Gingerbread Decorating. Owen and I started doing this the Christmas after we moved to Colorado, so 2008. Neil was in California and it was just the little guy and me. Wow, how things have changed. This year we had 5 decorating the houses (no Avery did not have one and believe me I caught grief for it :) haha) Christmas Eve was spent running around town in the morning and then Neil left for NOVA in the afternoon and we went to church with mom and dad. The church service was nice. At least the part I was able to listen to. Having all 3 kids in the service with us was, to say the least, EXHAUSTING. I was constantly shoving snacks down Ian's throat so he would stay quiet. Through some of the songs, I had Ian on my right hip and Claire on my left. That night, Greg and family came back over to spend the night at mom and dad's. The kids LOVED it. The 4 older ones slept on mom and dad's floor, while the younger ones slept in the room with his/her mom and dad. After a few books, songs, giggles, tears, more giggles, and a chapstick incident with Lydia that sent us adults into stitches, (see picture below) the kids finally fell asleep. Christmas morning was as exciting and hectic as you all can imagine with 5 adults and 6 kids, 7 years and younger. We ate breakfast, opened presents, and the kids played, played, played and played some more. Non stop playing from about 6:30 am until about 5:00 pm when Greg and family went back home. We were EXHAUSTED. (see picture below of Ian) Ian fell asleep at 5:30 on the chair and did not wake up until 7:30 the next morning!! Amazing. Neil came back to Richmond after his shift on the 26th and on the 27th we headed to Raleigh to spend time with Neil's family. Carolyn arrived on the 27th as well from her drive from Nashville. We were able to see her beautiful new house and spend lots of good, quality time with her. Ken and Cindy took us to Pullen Park (which is a park right next to NC State's campus that has been fully redone since we were students) and the kids had a blast. There is an indoor carousel, train to ride around the park and a fantastic playground. On Saturday, we were able to take the kids to their very 1st NC State basketball game! Neil and I enjoyed it just as much, if not more, since it was our first one in 10 years! It was good to be back! :)

It was a great Christmas and being able to spend it with all the cousins made it even more special. I hope you enjoy the pictures! They may make you exhausted just looking at them...beware :)

Neil started doing this face in pictures a while ago and I would not notice it until I went to upload the pictures (rascal). Well guess who has started doing the same thing!!

Matching PJs from Marc, Karen, Olivia and Rodger. Claire LOVES hers and seriously wears it almost everyday. I am constantly washing it!

SO much to be thankful for!

This is Lydia's chapstick incident. She went into my mom's bathroom to get some chapstick because her lips hurt. Grabbed Burt's Bees colored chapstick instead and came out with it all over her lips and teeth. TOO funny!