Christmas with the Dallas Clan

Since we are headed to Indy today for a week of holiday fun and visiting with the Indiana relatives, the Dallas family collected to exchange gifts last Saturday night. Here are the photos of the fun:

Cheryl's pretty tree and mantle

LM in the Hulk hands

Kim or Brooke or Cheryl - not me is apparently all I know about this  - ha - any one of them got Christmas pajamas for the kids to wear after Christmas last year. Now, that's thinking ahead! So, they are all matching for this occasion. Of course, Katherine was still sick, so we missed her.

Same pattern, just blue and red backgrounds for the boys and girls.

Presents!

The beautiful table...and the PIZZA!

Stocking fun

We all buy little gifts for the stockings, and then presents for the kids. The stockings are always a fun grab bag of random cool stuff. One thing I received this year was a hand made camera strap cover from Kim! Very cool. 

LM had a blast, although you can't tell from this photo, can you!

I will say he seemed to find everyone else's stocking stuff more interesting.

He kept stealing Andrew's rubber duckie. We eventually just traded his for LM's. 

Nice of Andrew to do so.

Sam and Cheryl received these fine wax lips!

Then on to the presents.

LM gave each of his cousins a shirt with their name on it.

And we gave them each a toy to go with their shirt.

This is a "learn to dress" monkey.

LM received some nice toys as well.

He received a hand made car keeper that rolls up for safe travel, a Mr. Potato head, a fire truck, which he proudly goes around calling "IRE TUCK", a boat that doubles as a ramp for balls, and a sit n' spin! 

There's the "car keeper" and Sophia is playing with the boat in the background.

LM might not know the day or the timeframe of all this Christmas stuff, but he definitely got into opening presents and seeing what everyone else got. I wasn't sure if he would, but it was really fun to see him do that. He also is very into reading his Christmas books at home right now - so at least on some level, he's "getting" it, and more than I thought he would.

LM with Aunt Kim

LM kept handing out hugs left and right, ESPECIALLY to Aunt Kim. He just kept going up to her and giving her big ol' hugs. It was sweet. Then, he located a candle and candle holder on Nonna's hearth that he took over to Aunt Brooke, as if he was giving it to her as a present. It was cute.

Sophia got a little jealous of her Mama holding LM 

Aunt Brooke, being presented her candle.

Sophia with the "grill"

Uncle Mark (Sophia's dad) got a lollipop that when you ate it, you appeared to have all silver lined teeth. Sophia got in on the fun. And, when she had it, it was hilarious, of course!

Hugging Aunt Brooke

LM is still trying to figure out the Sit N'Spin

We tried a group photo since they seemed interested in those steps.

My kid...the winner here. Ha.

This was Andrew's gift. LM was totally enamored, though. 

Good thing he was getting one of his own the next day!

I have a video I'll try to get up later this week.

Andrew kissed Nonna's wax lips!

Here these two are sharing toys...they will (sometimes) share with one another and no one else.

Then these two decided to head up the stairs.

Then the older ones followed. It was great fun.

But it was really these two with their coordinating pacifiers that enjoyed it most.

And, of course, a trip to Nonna and Papaw's wouldn't be complete without this.

It was a fun time together, for sure. I love making these Christmas memories with our boy. It is such a privilege and so wonderful.

See you soon.