Christmas Photos

Christmas photos!!

This year we decided to have a secret santa gift exchange before we left for Hilton Head to visit family for the holidays. We all drew names and had a big adventure at target with a $20 limit. It was so cute to see what everyone picked out for their person. Hudson won the best gift award with this giant teddy bear that he picked out for Brooke. I think it was her favorite gift of all! Her face when she opened it was priceless! All in all, I think it w

as really successful. I wanted the kids to get excited about giving gifts as well as getting gifts... and with so many of us in the family, I thought it was a good tradition to start and continue as they get older. We left for hilton head on thursday and got to see all my extended family. I think there are close to 30 of us in all now. I can't believe how all my cousins have grown. Brittany (the cute blond in the pictures) is now 25... hard to believe at

her age I had had 2 weddings and was pregnant with my first baby! A few of my cousins are now in college and high school... uggh... my kids are getting older, my cousins are now adults... I must be in denial that I'm getting older too!

Hilton Head was so fun. The little cousin bonding between my kids and my brother's kids (Ronan and Isla) was adorable to watch. It always makes me wish we lived closer to them. That picture with Hudson's arm around Ronan melts my heart. Hudson loved having someone to play Lego's with and bond over Star Wars. I wonder who Isla is going to gravitate to... she's right between Nellie and Brooke in age. Brandon and Cat had those adorable pj's (Ronan and Isla had matching ones as well) and looked like the perfect family with their 2 kids and one on the way.

The picture with everyone looking at the laptop is Christmas morning when we were watching the video we got of Santa Coming down the Chimney! Seriously... we captured him passing out all the presents! Watching this video was the BEST part of Hudson's Christmas. None of us can believe that we actually SAW SANTA! I will try to figure out a way to put it on here as well... I think this video was the highlight of my Christmas as well. There was so much holiday spirit involved in the setting up and anticipation of this video. Loved it. Thanks Brandon for making it so special. All in all, I think it was an unforgettable Christmas, totally worth the 11 hours it took to drive to and from Hilton Head. My family is so loud and funny... I hope all my kids stay as close as my mom and her siblings have. It really is a special group of people. I wonder if 50 years from now, it will be Gregor and me surrounded by all our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids... I sure hope so.