Hanging out with my family

This Christmas was a VERY special Christmas for my side of the family.  All of us were able to go to Northern California.  Laura & family drove from Arizona, Mike & family flew from Pennsylvania, and we drove up.  It was so special!!!  Mike & Jen's kids had never met any of their cousins before, so that was quite special.  It was so cute to see all 9 cousins playing together.  I loved spending time with everyone.  If only we didn't all live far away from each other... 

Ethan and I drove up on my birthday (December 17).  It was a wonderful birthday present to be with my parents & Phil and Jaime's family.  It was so cute to see how excited Phil & Jaime's kids were about Julia.  They all were so anxious to hold her.

Uncle Phil got to hold Julia first!

Ella holding Julia

Annalee holding Julia

Georgia holding Julia

Adam holding Julia

Daddy and his daughter.  So sweet...  :)

We arrived on the 17th. Mike's family arrived on the 19th. Then, Laura's family arrived on the 21st. It was so cute to see all the cousins meet their "boy" cousins. You should have seen them. When Laura's family first arrived, the girls all stood at the top of the stairs just stairing... not knowing quite what to do. We told them to come downstairs. Then, all the kids just kind of looked at each other awkwardly. It was so cute! Although they were shy at first, it didn't take long before the house was very noisy with kids playing and having a great time. :)

This was when Laura's boys arrived and all the cousins were together for the first time.

Uncle Mike holding Julia for the first time.  So cute!

Aunt Jen holding Julia for the first time.

Aunt Jaime loved holding Julia...

Aunt Laura holding Julia for the first time

Uncle Jason holding Julia for the first time





Joshua (Mike & Jen's) and Adam (Phil & Jaime's) are almost the same age.  They both love trains so they had to learn to "share."  They were so cute together...

The girls cousins (minus Ella) working on a craft

Adam loved holding Julia...

Ethan & I stayed at Mom & Dad's house.  One day, Mike & Jen's family came over to Mom & Dad's house.  We all had brunch together and then took a stroll around the lake.

Mikee is such a good daddy!

My Aunt Linda visited one day and got to meet Julia for the first time.

Mike loved holding Julia.  When this picture was taken, Julia kept smiling at her Uncle.  If you look closely, she's touching his beard.  :)  It was so cute...

Awwww....

The cousins got to eat at their own table...

One night, Dad got his guitar out and we all sang Christmas carols.

We all enjoyed singing Christmas carols.  The grand finale was singing "The 12 Days of Christmas" where each kid and some grown-ups got to have solos for each day of Christmas.  It was cute...

The kids, on their own, decided to put on a "play" of the Christmas story.  It was very cute.  :)

Lola and Lolo enjoying their 10th Grandchild

I loved spending time with my family!  It was very hard to leave.  But, I'm so thankful that we had the amazing and rare opportunity of being all together for a few days.  Lord willing we'll be able to do it again, some day.