Christmas Part 2 and January pictures

Sorry for the photo overload. This is the last of the Christmas pictures, including Chancey Christmas and our Christmas celebration with the Bowers in Athens that was a couple of weekends ago. I've also included some random January pictures at the bottom that were too cute not to post.

CHANCEY CHRISTMAS: This year my mom hosted at her house. Every year my mom's extended family gets together the Saturday that follows Christmas to just be together and celebrate the holidays. Sadly, some years this is the only time the entire year I get to see these aunts, uncles, and cousins. My mom had a white elephant gift exchange this year for us to play. She provided all of the gifts - which were left over items from her small booth/shop she just closed and random items of trash/treasure that she had around her house. It was so much fun, and even better to spend time with my family. We were minus 2 people this year, but we could certainly feel Mimi and Aunt Pat all around us that weekend.

Mack and Will - Double trouble

Emma happened to get the gift with a boa and a tiara (I think my mom helped her cheat when she picked it out of the pile!)

The guys

This is the look on my mom's face throughout the entire game - she thought she was so clever with some of the gifts. And, actually the gifts and who they ended up with were hilarious!

half of the crowd

The teenagers. Chancey, Cole, Micah

My cousin Haley and her precious little diva Molly Grace

My cousin Mark (Haley's dad) got the funniest gift. It was a box full of random items including lamp shades, an old purse of my grandmothers, and an assortment of other items. 

This (The Hannah Montana game) wasn't the gift Ellie picked out. (She picked out the grass skirt that is in her hand)The Hannah Montana game happened to be one of the items in Mark's box, but he immediately handed it to Ellie thinking it was perfect for her. Ellie had no idea who Hannah Montana was. The game is still sitting unopened in our playroom. 

Jaime and baby Rhett

Amos got a light up cup/straw combo. Couldn't have been a more perfect gift. 

Worth got a home accent decorating piece - "a stick" as he called it. He secretly hid it back in my mom's house so he didn't have to bring it to our house. 

Jesica and Will

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Emma ended up with Amos's cup

Uncle Jim opening his gift. Not sure what it was, but I was so happy to see a smile on his face. It's been a tough year for him. (He's the husband of my Aunt Pat)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE BOWERS CREW:  We celebrated Christmas late with Worth's side of the family because we were busy waiting on our newest nephew to arrive. Sweet baby Banks arrived on December 29th and we headed up to Athens on January 10th (we had to wait on Worth to have a weekend off) to celebrate Christmas with them.

All the Bowers cousins: Mack, Bo, Ellie, Banks, Emma

A very adorable baby Banks

Banks was not bothered by all the activities swirling around him. He was such a good baby! I'm not very familiar with good, quiet, sleeping babies. 

Mack loving "Christmas Morning" again

Bo was unwrapping pro this year

A sister and her brother

Another sister and her brother

Ellie looking cute except for her extremely chapped lips. It was frigid in Athens that weekend. 

Emma stayed warm

Bo showing off his tractor

Aunt Kate measuring everyone

Getting Mack still in one place for more the 0.5 seconds is a physical challenge these days and usually requires 4 hands. 

This just cracked all of us up. The cartoons were on, and the kids stopped in their tracks to watch. Assuming these positions. I can't believe that can be even remotely comfortable for Emma. 

Mack and Bo in the bath. Mack wasn't so sure about sharing a bathtub. He bathes on his own at home now. 

Biggest and littlest cousin

Checking him out

Ellie discovered a bad diaper, I guess. 

Bowers -Berryman trio

Sleeping like a log.

JANUARY PICTURES: These are just random phone pictures I've snapped this month.

Ellie did this all on her own. She normally cleans off the table after dinner as one of her nightly chores, but this particular night she decided to wash them out and load the dishwasher. I was impressed, especially with the towel over her shoulder. 

The girls got golf clubs for Christmas from E.W.,(Worth's dad) so Worth took them out  for their first golf course experience. It went as expected. Ellie was over it after about 5 min, and Emma would have been fine out there all day. 

Ellie's class dressed up as dalmations for the 101st day of school. I was proud of the tail I made her - and it held out all day long! 

Freddie. Need I say more? 

Riding in the Frozen Jeep

This is the usual scenario, Ellie driving Mack, while he enjoys a sippy cup. 

What happens when Emma wants to join in. 

Christmas 2014 Part 1

December was a CRAZY month for us, up until December 23rd. I worked that morning and came home to my wild indian/children and finally took a deep breath and began to enjoy the season. I finally was able to have time to sit down with my girls and talk about their excitement for Santa, which was huge in our house this year. I wanted to really soak it up, because I have no memory of Christmas (or Thanksgiving for that matter) last year. I won't go into all the sad/happy details of last year (y'all can read back on the blog,) but from Mack's birth until about April of this past year I have big chunks of my memory that are gone. This made me even more motivated to enjoy myself this year without all the mental stress we had last year, and absorb every second with my husband and children.

We had a very relaxing week. Mack did decide to come down with an ear infection the night of the 23rd, but other than a massively high fever and refusing to eat, he was in great spirits. Christmas Eve, Worth was on heart call - which is a really annoying call, because he doesn't have to be at the hospital unless there is a heart surgery. However, he basically is tied to his pager and we can't go out of town (Worth calls it house arrest.) So, we went to church in separate vehicles (in case he got called in), had a lasagna dinner and hung out at home. Even though Worth was pouting because he couldn't drink any wine (the heart call thing,) it was a very relaxing evening.Well, relaxing if you can relax with squealing, giggling, energetic little girls running circles around you. They were so super excited that Santa was coming. They put the cookies and milk out for Santa, and reindeer food out for the reindeer. I loved every minute of their yelling, screaming and jumping up and down. Although, this is kind of normal behavior at our house. 

Mack woke up pretty early Christmas morning because his fever was back up. We pumped him up with children's motrin, had to strip off his clothes, and let him run around with pacifier in his mouth (right now, he only gets paci at bedtime.) We knew he would start getting loud, so we went ahead and woke the girls up early (hence the fact that it is still dark outside in most of the morning pictures.) I think Worth and I just couldn't wait to see their reaction to what Santa brought. 

They played all morning with their gifts. Grandma and Papa came over for brunch and played some more with them. Everyone went down for naps (yes, my 6 year old still takes a nap occasionally - don't judge) while Worth and I watched "A Christmas Story." After they woke up from their naps, the kids all played outside on their new toys. Worth and I grilled steaks and had wine by the outside fire (Worth was actually not on heart call Christmas day - a blessing!) It was a great end to a perfect day and a perfect holiday week. 

And, this was just part 1. We had part 2 in Tifton the weekend that followed Christmas, with my mom's side of the family. "Chancey Christmas" is a  get together with all of my maternal side of the family that happens every year on the Saturday following Christmas Day. We will celebrate Christmas  part 3, with the Bowers/Berryman crew this weekend in Athens, and celebrate the birth of our new nephew who decided to be fashionably late entering the world on December 29th (He was due Christmas Eve) - William Fairbanks Berryman "Banks." We can't wait to meet him and enjoy time with Worth's side of the family! Tons more pictures and posts coming! 

Leaving Reindeer food for Santa's crew

Mack immediately found the basketball and went straight to the goal to put the ball in the hoop.  

Santa brought a Frozen jeep for the girls

And scooters. Emma is rummaging through her stocking to find more goodies. 

Yay!! Santa came!

Matching PJs and matching Elsa and Anna light up heels. Just what a  pair of sisters need. 

We always leave shoeboxes out for Santa to fill with candy. This was a tradition I did as a child, and my kids have continued it. Mack went straight for his sister's shoebox. I think he figured out his shoebox was smaller than hers and her candy looked better. 

Mack shooting hoops

Grandma and Papa's gift to Mack: his own slide!

Of course his sisters had to have a turn. 

Mack doing the side/belly slide as he hangs on for dear life. 

Christmas evening. Wine, fire, and Worth's rear end in the picture.  Sorry about that Worth!