the morning after....

OH MY GOODNESS!!

What a long weekend. I'm reorganizing, cleaning, and basking in the love of having this large family of beautiful, smart, funny members. I've looked
at the pics we took, and everyone is too comfy to share....so this time? you'll just have to use your imagination!

We watched Christmas movies, ate WAYYYYYYYYYYYY too much, and the highlight ended up being board games on Friday night. We playedTaboo and laughed until our faces and sides hurts....and honestly until pants were wet! ha!

The game is a cross of password and sharades. You are given a card with the word you have to make your team say.....but 5 words underneath
that you CANNOT use!

So, Gabe has this new blackberry....and is constantly making fun of my PDA which is a dinasaur at 2 years old. He says it HUGE and SLOW! and it's been the butt of every joke all weekend.

The first phrase Gabe draws in the game is "cell phone" and opens his clues with "Mom has one that's HUGE!"

well let me tell ya....."cell phone" was not among the 100 answers that started flowing out of the mouths of my beloved children!! EEK!! AND gabe could NOT get them to stop for another clue!!

I couldn't breathe because i was laughing so hard, and he was still yelling "SHUT UP" when the timer ran out!

Taboo was a blast, but not to be played by anyone who is sensitive by nature! that was only one example of the stuff that can happen! It's hard, too! any word you could possible use as an adjective, is on the list! 5 stars! go get it to have at your next family gathering!

Hatten the Cat was EVER so greatful to see his mommy....and i think my big city lawyer-girl was glad to be home....the safe place where you can let
down your hair, be teased to death about your new accent, eat better than you will all year, and sleep in the warmth of the special love that only family can bring.

Aubrey Jo and Molly were inseperable, and neither of their feet hit the floor.
The baby slept all night again, but that's not hard to do with all the attention she was getting.

Her Mom and Dad both got to be here, and uncle bill and angela fought over time with her! The sarge bypassed helping carry any of their stuff in, as he wanted to be first to get the baby! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ...and it kinda went
like that all weekend.

She has stopped the squealing, and started this new noise by sucking IN air! It's too funny! She can drool your shirt totally soaked in 5 minutes flat, and is attempting to "inch worm" across the floor. The rate at which she is developing can only be described in nana seconds. She is the Amazing Baby!

While we were playing the game in the diningroom, the baby was throwing the HUGEST fit! Turns out she was NOT to be left in the livingroom....and she sat at the table watching her parents, aunts and uncles screaming and laughing.

She is sooooooooo bright eyed and quick with the eye-hand coordination, that keeping the cards away from her was a TRICK!

My parents, i think, were awestruck at the amount of noise, and the number of grocery bags that kept coming in. My dad just kept saying TWO TURKEYS? AND a HAM??? lmao! They got a lesson in the amount of food that can be put away by a family of this size. (and by that i mean the two sons) I loved every second of cooking time.....

We are doing well together, the parents and us....it was a big worry. I have to remember to let them do more...(i keep kicking mom out of the kitchen)....and stop treating them like guests. That's hard to do!

So far?? Very Good! I'm extremely happy that they are here and I think they just might be enjoying their stay.

Saturday, we took Shauna to STL to catch a plane back to the District...and today, Sunday, the games are on... there is a beef stew simmering in the kitchen, and SNOW FALLING outside! My parents must believe I'm a liar...cuz i kept telling them..IT DOES NOT SNOW HERE!

It's a beautiful, light, puffy and non-sticking kind of snow....more like "sky decoration" and a little reminder that i need to venture to the garage and get out the Christmas Tree.

I am anticipating a more quiet Christmas....and although I'm relishing the weekend, and the present quiet, warmth, and aroma of my home....I already miss the hustle and bustle of the parent i used to be.

*Sigh*

ok can't resist...here's daddy (gabe) and ally(mom) making AJ's drooly gums make a funny sound....Uncle Bill is holding her:

Isn't she the sweeetest????