Holidays!!!!

Well I know it has been a long time since Christmas...but here is a review of our holiday with our families...

Jarom and Nicci came up to Chris' parents to see Joey and Stephanie. Jarom and Chris for some reason broke out Chris' old pogs...seriously!!!

My best friend Amber came out before Christmas to visit, it was so much fun since we haven't seen her since our wedding.

My BFF's Lexie and Amber!!!


Eating at Firehouse...the usual when we're all together


Kraig and Chris watching everyone play Rock Band.


CHRISTMAS WITH THE LISH'S

For Christmas Eve we always have a Christmas party with my mom's family. This was the third time my nieces and nephews had done the nativity scene...but they still loved it. We had a hard time recruiting wisemen and shepherds...Ed almost had to wear the kid's size 8 shepherd costume again.


Katie and Izzy


Savannah won a ribbion twirler...she loved it! She was so cute running around and twirling with it...


My uncle's kids brought their Wii. They thought my nephew Jake (he is 4) was too young to play...little did they know that he plays everyday and is referred to as a "Wii Sevant" in our family. You can see him sitting in the chair in the background with the saddest face ever because the big kids wouldn't let him play.


CHRISTMAS WITH THE LARSEN'S

We spent Christmas Eve night and Christmas day with Chris' family. Chris' nephews built a snow fort with all of the snow we got...


Christmas at the Larsen's is a bit different than what I'm used to. I was the youngest with a 6 year gap...so there were a few years we got up really early...but when I really got into it, I had to wait until everyone else would wake up. Sometimes I would go downstairs and stare at the presents and then just start watching the 24 hour marathon of the Christmas Story. So I thought everyone else did the same thing....slept until about 7:30 or 8 and then opened presents. I was sorely mistaken. Chris told me that when he was younger he and his siblings would all sleep in the same room, then at 6 they would wake up their parents, then their dad would pretend to get in the shower, and then they would all march into the living room to look at their presents. Well I assumed that Chris had grown out of this tradition...he has not!!! We all, minus Kael and Adian, slept in the same room. Then Chris and Nathan woke us up at 6 am!!!!!!!! Chris then called his mom, and she said "dad is going to take a shower." Everything was going according to plan, so we lined up at the bottom of the stairs...then we heard the shower start. Chris and his siblings assured me that it was all an act. It was not an act!!! Chris woke me up at 6 in the morning, only to sit on the stairs, fall asleep sitting up, and be woken up again 15 minutes later! Finally we get to go upstairs and Santa made it! I didn't get a lump of coal...although after being so angry I thought for sure I'd get a lump of coal. Then after everyone saw their presents and opened every present in the house...I thought "great nap time!" Nope, breakfast time. We had really good waffles. Then nap time finally came! Here are some pictures of the event...

Looks like Owen felt the same way I did


Chris and Michelle both got pea coats...



And Chris' favorite present...a gold watch! He has been wanting one for such a long time and was so excited!



NEW YEAR'S AT THE LISH'S

Well for New Year's, we went to my parents' house. We usually eat treats and play games all night long. My family always gets on certain game kicks and won't play anything else. There was Phase 10 for about a year, Dominoes for probably 3 years, Sequence for awhile, Settlers of Catan for a year, and ever since last year we've been playing Ticket to Ride. I thought for sure we'd be playing one of these games all night long, but recently my family has been on a Wii kick. Chris and I got one for our wedding, then my brother really liked it so their family got one (along with his wife's brother and parents), then my dad talked my mom into getting one...We're quite the trend setters. My brother and his wife got Guitar Hero World Tour...the entire band. So we literally played all night long!!! I think the worst song of the night was "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen...it started out with my dad playing guitar...then he got booed off. So my brother Ed played guitar and my dad played the drums, they were booed off again. So then Chris played guitar and my brother played drums...leaving either the girls or my dad to sing. My dad ended up singing. I never thought or wanted to hear my dad sing "Hot for Teacher." It was the most awkward moment of my life...seriously!

Ed really got into singing...