Our Christmas

We're just going to skip right past the fact that Christmas was a week ago and I am only now uploading the pictures. #Slacker_on_vacation_mode

 

Here's a picture from the beginning of December when I was on top of my game, taking photos and filling out Christmas cards like nobody's business. That lasted all of 20 minutes.

 

I accidentally on purpose only sent out 22 card this year. Normal years are upwards of 60. If you didn't get a card from us, obviously we don't like you anymore dropped the ball and maybe you'll get two cards next year. In a moment of ugly honesty I'm going to tell you that I'm tired of sending out cards of just Andrew, me, and Maddie.  Maddie is super adorbs, but until we have a fun announcement like another maltese joining our group or {fingers and toes crossed} a baby, I feel silly sending an updated picture that's really just the same year after year. Ugh, I want to delete this whole paragraph, but it is what it is, and even in the tough times there's a whole lot of good stuff.

 

So let's move onto the good stuff...

 

 

December 2013 was an important month in our family, especially the week before Christmas.

My middle sister, Kristie, and her husband, Tyler, went on their honeymoon cruise to Mexico.

 

 

They had a great time, and my sister will kill me for telling you this, but they had never been on a cruise before and didn't know that you have to pay for the pictures they take on the ship. For all you non-cruisers out there, each night there are fun photo ops set up on the different floors of the ship and the next day the pictures are displayed for purchase so you only have to buy the ones you like. In Kristie's defense, it isn't necessarily clear that you have to pay for them because they are just set out on display. So my sweet little sis made out like a bandit (completely unintentionally) and snagged all these great pictures! The bargain-hunter in me couldn't be prouder, but I imagine there will be heightened security on the next cruise :)

 

December 17, my dad retired, and December 18 he turned 50.

 My littlest sister, Melissa, turned 21 December 18. So there were "Congratulations" and "Happy Birthday" banners everywhere. All the dogs birthdays are December 28 and 29 and mine is in January, so we're just leaving the banners up for a while.  Our house looks like party central, which made it no surprise we got "Candy Caned" on Christmas Eve.

 

Getting Candy Caned is the Christmas equivalent of getting toilet papered. It was awesome! Candy canes everywhere: on our cars, the plants, the rain gutters, the palm tree prawns, the railings, the balcony; no surface was left un-caned.

 We got up early and did Christmas part one at the Hoags from 9:30-11:30.  Then we came back to my parents' and dad made delicious waffles (a Christmas tradition).

The doggies were as excited as the humans.

 

Uncle Chris, Aunt Vanesa, Ivory, Elias, and Beckett come over for breakfast and open presents with us.

After a couple hours of opening presents, we all head over to Grama and Grampa's.

Then we go back to the Hoags to watch Christmas movies and eat all the candy from our stockings.

 

The rest of Christmas week included some awesome shopping at the Coach outlet,

 

lots of afternoons at the beach and our favorite restaurant, Hoagies.

 

 

a lot of beach days (it's been 75 and sunny everyday since we've been home),

and catching up with friends.

 

 

Now we're figuring out whose house we're going to candy cane next year and getting ready to start 2014 off right, with yummy steak dinner and a New Year's party.

 

Hope your Christmas and New Year's are full of fun!