Christmas Morning

Christmas morning Josh let me sleep in since I was sick & when I woke up & made my way downstairs we opened gifts. Wyatt got a chewy toy; Logan got a robot; and Jack got an airplane.
Soon after that family started showing up for our annual Christmas breakfast.

Wyatt & the boys looked adorable in their Hanna jammies.

The ones Wyatt wore were Logan & Jack's from their first Christmas.

 It was the whole "fam damily", as my grandpa would say!

 Ethan-O

 I tried to get a decent picture of the three boys together in their jammies...

 This is the best of all three of them...

 But this is the best of the twins...

 And this I threw in for good measure because I like their crazy faces!

 Aunt Lisa bought the boys books & had Grandma & Papa record the readings. They're so cool!

 Josh's sister Christine made all the boys hats with knit beards that were hilarious!

 Papa Carl

 The boys also got Legos for Christmas, which they are having so much fun creating with.

 Happy Jack

Yukon Josh! 

Despite being sick, I enjoyed seeing all the family & partaking in all the delicious breakfast foods. 
After everyone left all five of us took a nap. 
It was very cozy. 

Christmas Eve

 After the afternoon opening gifts with my mom, we headed home to Carol & Carl's where they, along with Samuel, his girlfriend Tiffanie & Laura awaited us.

Josh fed & bathed the boys and once they were in their new jammies, we opened gifts downstairs.

Love Logan with his arm around Wyatt!

 It's family tradition with the Cunningham's for Carl to choose which single gift each child gets to open on Christmas Eve.

 I remember the first Christmas Eve I spent with Josh's family. Two things struck me. One was that his family always adopts another for Christmas.  They purchase a Christmas meal for the family, and get gifts for each family member, as well as putting in gift cards for them. Then on Christmas Eve they drop off the gifts, ring the doorbell & run like mad back to the car to make their getaway.

Laura & Jack

 The second thing that has stayed with me always is that Carl chooses a soft gift on Christmas Eve. Which means the present I watched ten year old Samuel open was socks. Socks. Poor kid.

(Now what strikes me is that Samuel isn't ten anymore... He's 21... I think that makes me old!)

 Even in the stupor of my sickness, I was able to capture moments of joy.

 Josh with his family, it's a beautiful thing.

 The evening was cozy, as Christmas Eve should be.

 The soft presents my boys got to open?

 Lovely stuffed animals from Aunt Laura.

A polar bear Logan named "Maggie."

And a penguin that Jack named "Smacky."

 Then it was up the stairs...

 And off to bed.

 Time for visions of sugarplums...

 And listening for Rudolph's hoof-steps on the roof.

 But first a little brotherly love was in order--

 Hugs,

 and kisses...

And lots of hope that despite being three, they aren't on the "Naughty List!"

Christmas Eve Day

Sweet Wyatt

 So Josh got in on the evening of the 23rd.  I was starting to get sick when I went to pick him up. By the time I woke up on Christmas Eve morning, I was a wreck. My eyes were watering, my nose was running and I felt pretty crummy.  I spent most of the day resting, not finishing the boys' homemade gifts for everyone (sorry!) and not being in the best of spirits (sorry again!)

But we managed to make it over to my mom's house to open our traditional Christmas Eve pj's.

 The boys had been at my mom's a few times that week, eying all the gifts under the tree, and were overjoyed to be finally opening some of them!

 They got adorable Hanna Andersson pajamas that are just perfection.

I love Logan's suppressed smile in this one!

 They also got a movie each.

Ratatoille

Cars 2

 They opened their own gifts & Josh and mine as well.

 It's exciting that they "get it" now.

 Last year it was still a little beyond them.

 Now they just can't wait to open gifts, and even when the gifts run out, they want to know if there are more!

 I love this. They were opening their gifts simultaneously, and looking to see what the other was getting. So cute!

 Movies!

 Jack was super pleased with his gift!

As you can see, I was so sick! And so spoiled. Mom got me the coziest pajama pants & thick wool socks. They are fabulous! In fact, I was wearing the pj pants today and Jack said, "Ooh, mommy! You're cozy! Will you snuggle me?"

 Josh got new jammies, too.

 Oh, I can't even express how blessed I felt to have him by my side on Christmas Eve when I was just sure he wouldn't make the flight in to Portland before Christmas Day.  I missed that face.

 I also love this face.

 And this face.

While we were over at my mom's, Josh was showing Jack pictures of the Alaska house. Jack was so happy, talking about getting on a plane, flying in the clouds with Josh.

It's so bittersweet to me. While I am feeling so peaceful with the thought of our little family being reunited, I am also feeling scared to say goodbye to all I have known.  I am sad to bid farewell to my mom.  And all who will miss us in their lives.

This Christmas definitely had sad undertones for me, what with my knowing we will likely not be home for Christmas again for quite some time.

bowling

 For the boys last day of school, there was a field trip to Crosley Lanes.  

My mom agreed to come & help me, and we had so much fun!

 Logan loved it.

 And Jack...

 well, Jack was a natural.

 We would throw those balls, then cheer & holler until the pins were hit!

 Then whoever hit the pins would say, "Yes!" and pull his arm down just like Napolean Dynamite.

 Logan

 Lovely Miss Carly

The boys will miss her!

 Here Jack is being chivalrous & getting Charlotte's ball for her.

 The boys & their buddies, Justin & Finn. (Or "Finnie" as they call him-- precious!)

 I love how you can see the excitement in his whole body!

 "I did it!"

For a while, as you can see here, the twins had the exact same score, which my mom & I thought was kind of cool. But in the end, Jack won the game, beating even Xavier's dad, who, by his own admission, is not a bowler. Go Jack!!!

Leaving bowling was sad as we hugged their little friends & their beloved teachers goodbye.  I choked up a bit, and these are people I've only known for five short months... who knows how I will handle saying goodbye to people I've known my whole life!