The past few weeks have been a blur. Our master bath is 96% completed, we cleaned out our garage and tried to clean all the dust out of our house. We finished the powder room. We did other random things that needed to get done before baby blueberry arrives. We also got to celebrate Christmas with the Cheney family, which has been the best part of the last few weeks by far!
Here's the lowdown, which I want to document before I forget!
Sunday - here I am at 38 weeks. Just needed to put that in there because I didn't take one today at 39 weeks and I'm not sure if I'll be taking another before the baby comes.
Kirk and Gretchen's family flew into Richmond super late at night. Dan went and picked them up and they spent the night at our house.
Monday - Dan had to work, so the rest of the Cheney clan came over to my house for the better part of the day. It was rainy and dreary, so we stayed inside and visited in the morning while the kids played. We also had Chick-fil-a. Then we went bowling and I got my best bowling score ever - 125! Dad still beat me, though. He got 129. Everyone else headed out in the early afternoon and the kids and I waited around for Dan to get home so that we could drive over to my parents' house.
Tuesday - Dan had to work from Charlottesville in the morning. The kids decorated the tree.
My parents surprised everyone by getting an air hockey table and we played tons over the week.
Girls playing Hullabaloo.
We met up with Dan after lunchtime to get family pictures taken at the University of Virginia campus. I'm not going to steal the photog's thunder and put up her pictures, but here are a few that I took on the side.
Oh, these two. They played so well together all week long.
We went home and decorated sugar cookies for Santa.
Craig and Candice's baby, Lincoln.
Tuesday night we also went caroling to a few of our parents' friends.
Wednesday morning (Christmas Eve) we did our traditional Secret Santa gifts and went to Walmart to pick them out. Later we had our nice Christmas dinner (another tradition - to have it the day before Christmas). My mom got everyone socks.
Then we headed downstairs to put all the presents under the tree.
Quite the haul.
I lied. One more belly shot.
Grandpa told the nativity story and we watched a Mormon Messages video. The kids were really good through the whole thing and did a great job answering questions and listening to my dad. Then they got to open special pajamas that my mom had picked out or made for them.
Boys minus Lincoln.
Girls minus Sherri.
Christmas morning (Thursday). We all got ready and then the kids came down to see what Santa had brought them.
Before the chaos.
They come down youngest...
to oldest.
Afton received (among many other things) a Snow White costume, an art kit, and a dollhouse (which is collapsible, thankfully).
Sam had asked for a costume, more Hot Wheels tracks, and How to Train Your Dragon Two.
I love how that headlamp mashes his hair down.
Our kids didn't waste much time before putting their costumes on.
Love Sam creepin' in this picture.
After we saw the Santa gifts, we went upstairs for breakfast and then headed back down to hand out and open the gifts we got each other.
(You may recall Dan's sweater from the missionary model picture I framed for his birthday. He thought it would be a lovely Christmas addition.)
We lucked out on Christmas and had gorgeous weather so we headed to the playground for a while.
The adults played a few friendly games of knock out.
My family in the pajama pants I made them.
Friday everyone except for me, my mom, and Lincoln, went on a hike to Humpback Rocks. Later we just hung out and the kids played with their presents.
Saturday Lincoln dressed up like Santa.
He is the only Santa Afton will voluntarily get anywhere near.
We went miniature golfing and back to the park.
Sunday we went to church and had more fun playing in the basement.
Aiden was sweet enough to let all the kids play with his new Marblelus toy.
Charlotte wore about 30 bracelets and other various jewelry items every chance she got.
Added into the mix was a lot of eating, more eating, playing games at night, and eating some more. We had so much fun and I'm so glad I got to be with all my family! We drove home this morning and are sad to get back to real life. Thanks, Mom and Dad for everything!
