Christmas with the kids

This year I was far from being prepared for Christmas.  I'm not sure why besides being too busy and unorganized got me all discombobulated for the holiday celebration that was to happen in our house on Christmas Eve.  I've wrapped presents minutes before they needed to be and I've been known to throw together a pretty fantastic meal complete with dessert after a full day of work so this little set back was nothing in my eyes.  

Well after a few un-known health issues with a few loved ones this might have been my most challenging ever.  Even more challenging than wrapping all the Santa presents on one Christmas Eve, that I will never forget, after a few (okay a lot) too many drinks.  

The presents did get bought, they also got wrapped in plenty of time, the groceries were bought all in one trip to the store..... yeah for a list that I don't usually have.   All on the night before Christmas Eve Eve.  Then it happened....... I got sick.  Down on the couch sick trying to function but couldn't.  Can't do much about it so I went to bed hoping for a quick recovery.  Christmas Eve Day I got up and felt like.......................... crap.  Oh well there is house to clean and food to cook.  

Of course clumsy me while picking up things I reached to the top shelf of the closet which is too high but of course I do it anyway because getting a chair to stand on takes too much time..... I drop a wood photo block that is coming straight down so I quickly turn my face and it hits me right on the temple with the corner of the block and instant tears well up in my eyes I fall back and grab the door handle to steady myself and see stars and almost pass out.  That would be great to pass out inside the closet with no one around.... not cool.  After a few minutes I think I'm okay and back to work I go.  A nice black eye for Christmas :)

Everything was done and we were showered and dressed before the first guest arrived.   Complete with an Old Fashion in hopes of a bit relaxing.  

All the kids and grandkids were here along with Grandma Great and the food was fantastic, we all ate way to much.  As I fought bouts of coughing uncontrollably the celebration continued.... 

I even cleaned up the toy room and made a craft room for the kids to make Christmas ornaments complete with lights strung throughout the room and tables of supplies with little chairs for all of them.  I didn't take any pictures of that room and should have along with all their completed projects. I will do that before I clean it up.   Of course this wasn't without injury to myself..... the room has slanted ceilings so when I bent over to pick something up I came up and slammed my head in the corner of the ceiling for a nice big lump on my melon.  At least it was the same side as my black eye.

Now it's present time.  Elly and Garrett handed out presents since I was already dizzy I didn't need the bending over and and spinning around to hand them out.  They did a good job they might have just gotten a new job.  

Grandma Great just love to sit and watch all the excitement from the kids and their new toys.

We might just bury small children in presents and then ignore them while they dig their way out.

Every year each of the grandkids has to take a picture with their ornament.  Little A was not a fan so Big A helped him.

Miss Melanie Mae 

Maxwell

Garrett

Miss El

Miss Mallory 

Again we might just bury the babies and ignore them....

The big girls got lego sets and got right to work.

Grandma Great leaving, we were so happy she was well enough to come spend some time with us.  I think she was tuckered out by the time she left.  

It gets hot in Grandpas house and one by one the small children lose their clothes to help make them happy.  

It was a great day and night and I kept moving even though I felt like napping (dying) a couple of times.  After everyone left I crashed on the couch without even touching a dish or scrap of paper..... the house was a mess, the kitchen was horrid and I felt worse than all of it.  After a bit of moaning and coughing spells John talked me into taking some medicine and heading to bed.  He said he wanted to stay up and watch TV.  Now that doesn't happen in our house, we go to bed at the same time even if one of us has to sleep on the couch until the other is ready for bed..... but I didn't ague and passed out when my head hit the pillow.  What I didn't know was John stayed up till wee hours of the morning to wash every dish, clean up every piece of paper and straighten up everything to look perfect for my Christmas morning.  BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER