Family Weekend~Long Post!

This is a crazy long post...I am in a rush to get done with all the Christmas posts so I can move on! This year Ana and her family came up for new years...so we had a big family gathering as usual, to celebrate Christmas and new years.

Our family just keeps on getting bigger...new babies, new boyfriends...we are quite the group.

The only reason everyone smiles nicely for the first pictures is because they know the last few pictures are "goofy pictures"...

Goofy picture/not quite ready picture!

My parents and their grandkids...they actually have 6 grandkids with #7 on the way...but the others were not able to come...which was a bummer!

A dorky picture..but I had to add it simply because of Gus's little smile...can you get any cuter!?

Since my family is a pretty big group...we draw names. So each person buys for one person. This year Gus had James name...and he opened up a John Deere tractor...I think is James first John Deere toy! Pretty pathetic since we used to live down south on a big farm!

Elsie was just slightly excited to open her gift from Auntie Marissa...she found the bouncy ball she wanted so badly, and some Barbie clothes!

I think we are our growing the living room!

My parents are the hardest people to buy for...they will never tell us any ideas for Christmas gifts...or if they do it is silly little things, like spatulas. But this year we planned ahead and surprised them good! I am a craigslist shopper...so a couple months before Christmas I found a super good bargain and thought of my parents right away...a pool table! Ted and Ceara borrowed a trailer and went and picked it up...and Jon and I stored it in our garage for 3 months...and maybe told a few little lies to keep my dad out of the garage! New years day we sent my parents on a drive with Oliver and James {to get them to take naps}...as soon as they left we hauled the pool table in...

It was dusty from sitting in the garage for 3 months...so we vacuumed it off!

We told my parents we had a gift for them...but they had to come downstairs to see it. When they came down we were all standing in front...

As we moved away they saw their new pool table! I think they were surprised! They had no idea at all! They have talked about wanting a pool table for a couple years now..so they were happy! It is really more like a family gift...all the guys were just as excited as my parents!

Jon, explaining the game of pool to his son...James loves pool!

The "School Room" has officially become the game room now...pool table, air hockey and foose ball tables all reside in the school room. Good thing they have a dining room table for School work!

 I am not sports oriented at all. In all honesty I just learned that each team has their own basket when playing basketball! That is bad!! So, the idea of me playing foose ball was interesting! It is even more interesting playing with a toddler crawling on top of the game...lets just say he is an aggressive goaly!

My dad enjoys the pool table...

James was our little cheerleader...every time Ceara would get a point she would cheer and so would James...and they would end with high fives... 

Wish I could say I whipped Ceara's butt...but we forgot to keep track of scores. And I had help on my side...I only had to control 2 pegs...and most of the time I hit the little ball the wrong way. But we all had fun and that was all that mattered!

My kids got tired and kinda lost it around 10:00...so we went home and put the kids to bed. And Jon fell asleep on the couch shortly after getting home. I stayed awake to welcome the new year though...by myself...just me and the Internet! But, I head the party went till after midnight at my parents! Even little Oliver stayed up until past midnight!

I left my camera at my parents when we went home...and I found this picture...so my guess is everyone had a wild and crazy night!

The next day the guys all went ice fishing...and all we sisters went shopping...and my mom and Laura stayed home to watch the kids. It is a dangerous thing to let a group of sisters {and a friend} go shopping together...we filled the trunk with bags. It was literally Christmas all over again when we came home! After the shopping we enjoyed some Birthday cake...to celebrate both Ana's and my birthdays!

We all know how to have a good time...We feed off each other...we are loud...we are wild...we are crazy...we are fun...Laughter can probably be heard from the driveway! We cherish Family time...