Christmas at Grammy's...

As we drove home from our third Christmas Event (which will be the post AFTER this one) I remarked to Brian how strange it is the way things change over time. Thinking about Christmas as a child, I still imagine us (my mom and dad, and my sister and me) in our jammies, opening our stockings. There would be Christmas Tree bread being eaten and holiday music playing. For some reason, that's my image of Christmas growing up.

So for some reason, it struck me funny this year, as we drove home late Christmas Eve night, that not one of the four of us was together at that moment. *Sigh* Funny how life changes... between marriages and in-laws, divorces and kids, Christmas Traditions have changed quite a bit. And once again, I'm learning to be okay with that. I used to get very caught up with which of our families we would spend Christmas Day and with whom we would spend Christmas Eve, making sure to rotate it each year, but what I'm realizing more and more, is that with the right people, and the right amount of festive spirit, you can make ANY day feel like Christmas! So in a way, we celebrated Christmas all week...not too shabby.

So this post is about our second event....Christmas at Grammy Russo's. This year's attendees were:

Auntie Diane who had flown in from Georgia,

MY gramma, (GG to my kids)

My mom,

The man she is dating, Al,

His dog, Buttercup,

My sister, Mary

Brother-in-law, Emilio,

Their bulldog Rocco,

Our dog, Piper,

Brian, Me, Colton, Hunter and Ethan

We had a great night...it really does add a whole new dimension to Christmas to watch little ones' excitement with just about EVERYTHING...

We had dinner and 4 different kinds of pie. We drank wine and eggnog, we took lots of pictures and we opened presents!!

In the photo below, Ethan is testing out the strength of the new chair Al built for Hunter. Once he saw how intrigued they were with opening the seat and standing IN the chair, he decided he'd better reinforce the base! But the chair is simply adorable and was such a thoughtful gesture. There are 2 more chairs in the works for 2 little boys....theirs however, will NOT be pink and purple.
This kid. Oh how this face melts me...he can make me crazy and in love, all at the same time. I'm learning to modify little things for this little dude. He's a lot like me in many ways. He does NOT, I repeat does NOT. (Did you hear that?) He does NOT like to have collars on his shirts, or zippers close to his neck, or socks or shoes on his feet. (but that's for a whole other post). He is very sensory defensive. (I think I just made up a new term). He looks so calm in this photo, but what he's really saying is, "GET THIS VEST OFF OF ME!" Oh Bear...I love you to the moon and back.
And then there's Colton...I personally like that I did his hair tonight and it came out looking like George McFly from Back to the Future.
And then there's my whole little Bunch Clan...Yes the top of Hunter's head is a little blurry. I was attempting to photo shop the top of the Christmas Tree OUT of the picture so it no longer looked like she was sprouting a tree from her head!

My mom and me

My mom and Al

And right here should be a photo of Mary and Emilio. Except that none was taken. Mary? Why didn't we take a photo of the two of you??

I like this photo because it reminds me of days gone by...When it was just the 3 of us. Not that I don't LOVE having the 6 of us now, but I am sucker for reminiscing...Piper is seriously the best dog we could have ever picked. I couldn't stand her when she was a puppy because she was SO DARN FIESTY...she would chase me and chew socks till I was crazy....now, she's pretty darn perfect. Her only flaw is that she barks when people come to the door, or if she hears a strange noise (which, I know, is really quite helpful, except when she scares the babies half to death or wakes them from a nap).

Otherwise, she lets them pull on her tail, pull on her ears, stick their fingers IN her ears, eyes, nose, ride on her, etc. and she just lets them. Never growls, never nips, she just lets them. She's a good ol' girl.

And this takes me back to the days before even Piper came along!

My sister Mary and me

Aunt Mary and Colton McFly

Auntie Diane and Hunter

Colton and Al and discussing the pros and cons of footie pajamas, or something else important like that.

This face I love...my kids are fascinated by Mary and Emilio's bulldog, Rocco. They were once very afraid of him, but they are learning to love him, and now, often wonder "Where's Rocco" if Mary comes to visit without him. This is Colton's Italian hands gesturing "Where's Rocco?"

Gramma and Hunter

Mary and Ethan

Buttercup

GG (Great Gramma) and Hunter

Folks, how awesome is it to have 4 generations in the family with a 98 year age spread ...The babies are 2 (almost) and GG is over 100...I LOVE that they get to have her in their everyday lives.

""GG I love the flower on your sweater"

They love GG's canes as much as all her other fun gadgets! Here, Colton is standing on her bed, with her cane. Does he think he's a shepherd?

Ethan wanders into GG's room often and just plays in there with her. He loves her electric reclining chair and her TV, and her fan and her heater..

They love the stool to get on her bed..

(And I'd like to pause a moment here so you can all reflect on Hunter's outfit. THIS is why I love this girl. She is wearing her piggies of power, a red velvet dress, black tights and black converse tennis shoes. Those are the ones she picked. What a cracker jack she is.

Uncle Emilio and Ethan

"Peekaboo Hunter. I see you through my wine glass."

He licked the platter clean...

Thanks for my big girl chair, Al and Grammy

Thanks for my big boy chair :)

There he goes tending his flock again...

So the mistake we made here was opening the most exciting gifts first. Big no-no. Uncle Emilio and Aunt Mary got each of the babies a motorized ATV that is self propelling with the simple push of a button....SO FREAKING FUN! (Never mind the ghetto tricycles Brian and I bought them that you actually have to pedal yourself!) We've decided to save them till their birthday....

These are too much fun. She particularly loves that hers is pink and purple.

Rocco chewing on the boxes.

Hunter is fascinated by this behavior

NEW TRUCKS!

"Good boy, Rocco"

"Give Grammy a Kiss."

Brian is uber happy with his multi tool!

"You say a jolly fat man is coming down THAT chimney tonight?"

Cozy new jammies

And new books to read in our cozy new jammies

And we all settled in for a long winter's nap....

That's Christmas Part 2. Next up is Christmas in Phoenix with Brian's family!