Our Week of Christmases...

We celebrate Christmas for a whole week around here.  Lots of grandmas and papas and cousins and family around mean lots of wonderful days spent eating and drinking and merrymaking.  Popeye had to work for most of our family events (boo) but Swee'Pea and I made the best of it and still had a wonderful time.  I tried to take as many pictures as possible but I'll be honest... these days the only camera I even bring to events is my iPhone, and I'm lucky if I remember to snap even a single picture with that.  Lame.

We started off the celebrating with breakfast with my dad and step-mom (no pictures, boo).  We ate yummy waffles and chocolate pancakes while they loved on Swee'Pea and showered him with lots of fun boy toys that he immediately tore into at the restaurant.  He spent the morning playing cars with my step-mom and loved every bit of it.  It was a good morning.

The next day we headed to my aunt and uncle's house to celebrate with my dad's extended family.  My cousin remains to this day one of my dearest friends, and I'm so excited that Swee'Pea gets a chance to know her son as they grow up.  These second cousins had a blast chasing each other around all morning and playing in a real police car.  Here they are making their meanest most criminal faces.  Obviously.

After lunch and gifts we headed to my grandma's house in my little hometown.  She lives in a rambling farm house on her pistachio and almond farm.   We visited and ate lots of tasty homemade treats (she even picked up some Tahoe Joe's cheesecake... my favorite!) and opened gifts galore.  I have tried to make an effort to take a five-generations picture each time we are all together with this side of the family.  Here we are with my great-grandmother (she is almost 95 and as alert and as beautiful as ever!), my grandmother, my mother, and my younger brother.   

The next morning (Christmas Eve day), Swee'Pea and I headed to our traditional Christmas Eve morning birthday party breakfast for Popeye's brother-in-law's sister's husband's birthday (got that straight?  no?  okay, let's just call him my brother-in-law).  We visited and ate yummy waffles and had a really nice morning relaxing.

And then the real festivities began.

My in-law's are amazing.  Like super-duper over-the-top awesome when it comes to Christmas.  And I love it.  Not just because of the gifts.  But because of the true joy that can be felt all day at their house.  By 12:30 their house was open and ready for Christmas to begin.  Popeye and I were the first the to arrive, knowing the secret they had been keeping from the kiddos and wanting our chance at it before the kids took over.  

Our ten kids spent six hours on a giant tropical bounce house slide.  We adults spent six hours taking turns monitoring the chaos outside and lounging and talking and eating treat after delicious treat.  

It was heaven.  Pure, blissful heaven.

When dark fell we played a bit of Family Feud with the adults (the boys won in the last round... how do they always win?!) and then the kids were off to change into their traditional Christmas jammies and take the traditional Christmas picture.

I can't believe there will be two more babies on this couch next year.  It makes me so happy I could just burst.

Then we sang "Happy Birthday" to Baby Jesus...

Before diving into hours and hours of present opening.

Popeye bought his brother this terrifying horse head.  It is disturbing and fascinating to me all at the same time.  

The one picture I actually got of the three of us.  Our last Christmas picture as a family of three.  It still takes my breath away.

My in-laws bought me this amazing little record player and my mom bought me some great records to start my collection.  We have hardly turned this thing off since it came home Christmas Eve!

It was the perfect day.  We opened way too many generous gifts and I ate way too many deviled eggs and we got home way too late to set out cookies and milk and carrots for Santa so after Swee'Pea passes right out in bed, Popeye and I got to work making sure everything was perfect for Christmas morning.

And at 6:52 on the dot, just like every other day of his life, Swee'Pea awoke and excitedly came to wake us up.  We convinced him to lay in bed with us until 6:58.  And then the excitement was just too much.

Santa brought lots of fun goodies in our stockings (yes, that is the back massager my five-year-old asked Santa for.  don't judge, he gives free neck massages to anyone patient enough to sit still long enough).  And the gift of the morning, oh boy!  A Razor scooter.  Which he immediately took outside to ride in the freezing cold.

After we opened gifts we ate our traditional Christmas Eve buns and then it was off to my parent's house for a perfectly relaxing and lazy day.  Multiple naps may have been taken by me.  They really do have the best napping couch.

Papa Turbo bought Swee'Pea a super special gift...a Green Machine!  Which my child then used to terrorize the streets of their neighborhood for the next two hours.

The day was perfect.  And I may or may not have gained four pounds on this cheese ball alone.

We had a wonderful week of really precious quality time with our families.  And every year I appreciate more and more how special it is to have so many people I love surrounding me not just on holidays, but every day of the week.  My heart is so full right now.  I am so incredibly thankful for the blessing that my huge crazy family is not just to me, but to Popeye and Swee'Pea as well.  We are so, so loved.  And that is the greatest gift of all this Christmas season.

Our week of thanks.

Every other year we head out of town for Thanksgiving with Popeye's siblings and folks.

Twenty-six people and counting.  Twenty-six people and counting.

It is crazy.

And fun.

Filled with so much laughter and chaos and food.

This year we headed up north to Angels Camp.

That's Gold Country, for those of you familiar with this great state.

We stayed in a rambling farm house that took 150 years to build and it shows.

And it was perfect.

We played games and watched kids race around the back yard and had dance parties and hiked and walked through the biggest trees in the world and drank coffee on the couch in the kitchen and stayed up too late and shared what we were thankful for.

And I wept.

Because I have so gosh darn much to be thankful for this year.

For even when it doesn't make sense.

And our plans don't go as we would like them to.

And things seem like they are tougher than they should be.

And your losses seem to stack higher than your wins.

HE is still Lord.

HE is still sovereign.

HE is still King of kings and Lord of lords.

HE is merciful and gracious and loving and good.

And my cup overfloweth.

My cup overfloweth again and again.

Our final bit of summer...

I am officially done with my summer break and headed back to work next week. 

Boo.

Praise the Lord I am working part-time again next year (holla!) so this next week will be my only full week of work before I'm back to my 2-on/3-off, 3-on/2-off sched.  My heart is already longing for October when the first 6-weeks of work are through and my kids (and myself) are on a good schedule and working in a rhythem.  Ahhh, how I dread Stresstember.

We've been thuroughly enjoying the past few weeks.  With random days of nothingness and a whole lotta fun inbetween.

Summer has been good to us.  Very, very good to us.

I'm going to miss hanging out with this sweet face all day long!!!

We took a quick getaway to the Central Coast to see a concert and play in the sand.  It was so good for my soul hanging out with these two.

Sand Robot.

A selfie to prove that yes, I actually DO go on vacation with my family...

Quesadillas.  Every night.  Because I fell off the cooking band wagon.  Housewife fail.

I have enjoyed following Matt Kemp on the good 'ol IG immensly.  I have not, however, enjoyed his v-necks.  I will forgive him for this if he continues hitting home runs.

Working for my mom... filing, filing, and more filing.

Back-to-school shopping.  Because yes, we are homeschooling.  But no, contrary to popular belief, we do not just sit around in our jammies all day.  Well, at least not every day...

And how could I deny him this sweet backpack??  Legos!  Star Wars!  Everything he loves in one plasticy bag of Walmarty goodness!

Swee'Pea was so proud of these sweet folders he picked out.  Ninjago for the win!

Staying up waaaaay too late watching the Olympics.  We love America.  And Debbie Phelps.

Saving, saving, saving.  Because we love us some Mickey Mouse.  And because every little penny counts!

Spent the weekend in Cayucous with some of my dad's side of the family.  Love seeing Swee'Pea connect with them.   It may not be like back in the day when we camped with 5 trailers and 18 crazy people, but it was a good time none the less!  

We had a good time cheering for the Dodgers at the beach over the weekend.   Especially since they swept the Giants.  My uncle, a Giants fan, was staying in the room next to us.  Swee'Pea liked to go next door and announce the score to him on a regular basis.  Go Big Blue!

A nice little hammock swing.  Don't mind if we do!

Dearest summer.  You've been grand!  See ya again next year!

Because we be cray cray.

I'd been wanting to take a trip down to the La Brea Tar Pits for quite some time.  "Let's make a sister day of it!" we decided.  We loaded up the kids into two mini vans and set off for Los Angeles.  "Why do people think we are crazy for going on adventures without our husbands?  This is so easy!"  I declared to Sister #1 as we headed down the freeway.  Kids were happy.  Movies were playing.  Adults were chatting away.

And then lightening struck and Jesus punished me for my sinful ways.

J/k.

Kinda.

A pit stop at Lions for little ones to pee.

One sister (innocently and accidentally) left behind.

A flurry of texts and phone calls.

Stop for a picnic lunch at In N Out (because we are cheap).

Left behind sister catches up.  All is well.  

An hour-and-a-half later we are on the road with a newly renewed AAA membership and a recharged battery so we thought.  

A lovely few hours checking out the antique animals (not dinosaurs, people.  Excuuuuuuse me.)

A history lesson on the horror that was the tar pits.  Elephants and vultures and wolves, oh my!

A real life paleontologist or archologist or whatever they were.  Finding real bones!  In tar!

Another dead car battery.

Several rounds of duck-duck-goose and far too many snacks.

Using the the bushes for a potty (don't judge.  you weren't there.)

Another call to AAA.

Lots of calls to find a battery.

Ninety minutes of waiting because apparently this van battery does not exist.

A race to the beach to enjoy the last few minutes of sunlight.

Jelly fish!

Freezing children!

A 30-minute detour through Hollywood to find the area's only Chick-Fil-A (God Bless America).

Free waters and free cones in our jammies (because we are cheap).

Switching car seats full of sleeping children and one last stop for coffee because it was desperately needed.

Sleepy children in the backseat, lots of good conversation in the front.

Home by 12:30 am to climb into bed next to my passed out husband who sleepily asked, "How was it?"

Dear Lord, I know now why we go on adventures with our husbands....

BUT.

The day was amazing.

Perfect in all its imperfections.

And I'm continuously reminded why I am so stinking thankful for this family I married into.

So thankful for God's divine plan back when I was 14 to meet this amazing husband of mine.

To bring us through thick and thin and break-ups and fights and infertility to have this beautiful son.

Born the same week as two cousins and two months before another.

Our children who adore each other.

Sisters I'd do anything for.

Because YES the day had its hard moments where we could have easily screamed and said harsh words or acted like brats.  

But we hugged and we shrugged it off and we loved on each other and each others children.

And we made a million happy little memories that I wouldn't trade in for the world.

It was a pretty great day.  A pretty great day.