Last Christmas-y thing, before I wrap it up for a year!

Ok, I lied. I may have to add a little "Last week of Chippy" post somewhere in the next week.  But for now, I just have to add a few last pics of Christmas, to get it finished!  Seriously, next year it will be like one picture!  One really, really good picture!

The last family get together was to give and receive gifts from my sister Michelle and her family because they were in Vermont for the whole weekend.  We had dinner at my parents, let the kids play and got our last Christmas fix before it was packed away until next year. So without further talking, here are a few pictures of the night.  Oh, but just to say, they are practically all of Avery.  When Cameron and Ryan are together, they don't stop, leading to NO PICS!  Sooo...back to some Avery pictures:

Miss Avery Pebbles

 Cutest, ever :)  Well, my cutest girl ever!

 Teeth!  Getting some on top, too!

 Cam with his new tab :)  Loves it!

 The babies: Aubrey 3 months and Avery 10 months

 Avery has a tendency to try and gouge out eyes of younger children.  With a smile. Great.

 Uncle Kevin, Avery's Baby Whisperer, he holds her, she calms down, and in this case, practically falls asleep!  Thanks little bro!

Ok, and that is it!  Christmas photos, except of Chippy, is DONE!!  Love it, for sure, but it does seems like a little relief when it is over, doesn't it?  Until next year, duh.  So cheesy.

And onto Christmas Day...

Ok, so I'm trying to finish this fast! So not as many words!  I promise, but probably won't happen! Christmas morning was spent at our house having a quick breakfast, opening stalkings, opening gifts, then playing with our their new presents!  Like expected, Cam was sooo excited to see that Santa had come and that he got to open the gifts, finally!  He opened his and Avery's and loved all of them, at least at the moment he did!

Stocking time, while Avery got a bottle.

 His new harmonica!  He loved this thing!

 Opening Avery's with her

 Haha!

 Her crawling puppy: he crawls, she follows, he stops and barks and she catches up to grab him and he crawls away.  It's pretty funny.  Would be helpful for a kid learning to crawl for sure!

 The new dancing and singing puppy dog.  He's bigger then she is, but she dances with him and laughs and laughs when he's moving.  Success Santa!

 Last minute, not necessary purchase: the scooter.  But glad we did, he LOVED this thing!

 But he loved his train set even more!!

 Daddy, not as much, since he had to put it together :)

 Snuggling with my peanut

Then off to Mimi and Papa's we went, in our new matching jammies that Mimi bought the kids.  The rest of the family, minus a few, were there and ready to open some more gifts and have our brunch.    I didn't get many pictures here because I was opening my own gifts at the same time. Sometimes, putting it down is best anyway!

 Santa Avery

 Loving her first real baby doll.  Cam calls her Dolly, like all other dolls in the house, but she needs a better name!

After that, we went home for a bit, I made a salad and the kids napped, which was definitely necessary!!  We got back together with the extended family on my dad's side.  Again, not enough pictures, but I was having to much fun socializing (and had a kid in my arm at most times!)

Cam and cousin Ryan loving each other, like always!

 My little lady, crossing her legs in her dress.  Oh and teething stinks when you need a bib to cover up a the pretty dress that you hunted for for months! 

 The Matz side family.  It looks small to me cause about 7 people were missing.  And of course the one where all the others look good in, is the one were Cam and myself look like we were wrestling! Oh well!

And to say something nice about this side of the family, I'll put it simple: They are THE BEST!!  I couldn't ask for more great Aunts, Uncles and cousins.  We have always lived close by each other and the cousins are similar enough in age that we all get along wonderfully.  Love, Love, Love, honestly, they are truly the best.  Anyone would love to be a part of this family.  Enough said :)

Next, Christmas Eve

I am so far behind on blogging about all the Christmas stuff!  But that's me: always a week behind on everything!  Christmas Eve was kind of thrown together last minute.  We didn't know what we were going to do until that day.  Matt and Katie were going to be with her side for Christmas day, so we all decided to celebrate the holiday with their parents on Christmas Eve.  I thought it turned out to be great, minus the fact that Mark and I and the kids missed church by about 7 minutes!  We were in front of the church, but Matt said it was pretty packed and we probably wouldn't find a seat anyway.  Oops, sorry Jesus!

While we were waiting for the rest of the family to get back to the house, Cameron got to open his letter from Santa.  He was pretty excited to get his own mail!!  And yes, I bought it from an Etsy shop, filled out a questionnaire to personalize it and had it shipped from North Pole, IL.  Who care's?  He loved it!

 We took a few pics, before the kids were to distracted, HA!

Pretty tree, huh?

 The best I could get!!

When they got home, we had dinner and dessert (an awesome ginger bread cake!)  Everything was really, really good!!!  Then, onto gifts it was.  

Avery and Googa in there cute little dresses with red turtlenecks.  How cute are they??

 Loved his cake, well two servings of cake, since he didn't eat dinner!

 Cam played us some music, while he sang Jingle Bells, his song of the season!

Googa and Papa got him his first pair of ski's!  We are going to have sooo much fun bringing him "skiing".  At this age, its good to get him to learn balance and what not to be able to be good at it later on.  Think we may need a helmet!!

 Avery had fun sitting and opening her presents with her Googa.  She stayed awake the whole time, waaay past bedtime!  But once bundled up in her car seat, she was out for the night!

After we left, I really wanted Cam to stay awake to do the cookies and milk thing and he did!  It was pretty unheard of for him to stay awake in the car at 8:30!  But I'm glad he did!  He was pretty cute and I think it got him to get the idea that Santa was coming that night a little more.  And he got to say goodbye to Chippy.  More on that later!!

Okay, I'm starting: Christmas 2011!

So since we did like, 10 Christmas parties to get to see everyone, I think there has to be a few posts over the next few days.  And I know, no one cares to see pictures of my kids over and over again, in the same two outfits in like 20 different poses, but it's for me.  I don't want to forget!  Just bear with me, if you want to!

Our first night of Christmas festivities, on the actual Christmas weekend, started on Friday night, the 23rd.  This was to spend time with Marks mother's side of the family.  We usually do it on Christmas Eve, but this year the Patriots played in town on Christmas Eve late in the day, and 4 of the family members were going to the game, and Mark and Matt were parking for the game, so it just made much more sense to have it the night before.

And oh did we have fun!  Avery got to model her cute little dress and sparkly tights, before falling asleep after about an hour and Cam got to ham it up for everyone to watch during gift time!  He's such a goof! A really, really silly goof with no-reserve to speak of!  Love, love, love :)

But anyway, we LOVE spending time with this side of the family!  They are Googa's two sisters and there families.  I feel like I have known them forever, which 13 years (of dating, not marriage!) does seem like forever to me! They are sooo sweet and have accepted me into their family from the beginning, before it was even apparent that I was in it for the long haul.  Emily and Tommy, Mark's cousins are two of the sweetest people EVER and I just want to squeeze them every time I see them.  I met them as little kids, 6 and 7ish, and they are "adults"now!  I can hardly imagine where that time has gone!  There mom, Aunt Dori, has claimed Cam her "Best Boy" since he was born and has watched him a few days a week since he was 3 months until I stooped working 10 months ago.  He's in LOVE with her, and I think she likes him a bit, too :)  And Auntie Kath and Uncle Greg have done sooo, sooo much for us I can't even list it.  They have taught Mark alot of what he knows in his work and together they make a great trio! Not to mention there wholehearted love they have for their niece and nephews that has tinkered down into pure love for my babies.  I just can't say enough good things about this side of the family.  Honest love just oozes out of  all of them and it just makes me happy and feel calm and welcome when ever I am around them.  And I know my babies feel the same way, even if Avery doesn't let everyone hold her all the time :)

Want pictures after this ridiculously long babble about the wonderfulness that is Marks side of the family?  Well, here you go:

Cousin Emme with Avery (I swear, she was smiling with her right before this!)

 Crawling after the dog, who's something actually smaller then her!  Oh and the Bum Bum! Cuteness! 

 Only pic of me and one of my children the whole night.  Bad quality, thanks Mark (JK!) so that's why its black and white.

 Papa and Avery, starting to show him her love!

 Getting tired with while Aunt Katie held her

 Silly eating face

 The construction worker set (or "fuction" worker, how Cam says it, sounding very naughty!) from Auntie Kath and Uncle Greg.  A BIG hit!!

 Opened everyone's gift with his new saw.

 Avery sleeping through all the madness, looks a little tense though!

 Puppy (all dogs are puppy's to me) Jake and his new puffy vest from Cam and Avery

Wish I got more pictures, but sometimes you just have to participate in the funess!  Next time we ARE getting a family picture with everybody though!!

Part two: Train into Boston!!

Sunday, we had plans to have dinner with Marks family: Googa, Papa, Uncle Matt and Aunt Katie.  In the morning, Googa (Marks mom) called to see if we wanted to change plans up a little and instead of going to their house, to take the train into Boston, walk around a bit and then have dinner in town.  Umm, yeah!  My kid isn't only obsessed with his Googa, but the train?  Holy crap!  Of course we would go!  But as we have learned the hard way, never tell a toddler about something exciting that is going to happen unless it is at that MINUTE!  So we had to use code words all day until we were in the car, all packed up in our cold weather gear, to finally tell him the plan.  He was "sooooo cited!!"

We met up with everyone at the train station in our town and waited for the train.  Cam was sooo dying to get on the train!! 

Once we were on, he sat with Papa and looked out the window the whole time, pretty much mesmerized by what was going by.  Every time the speaker announced where we were approaching, he would repeat it and thought he was the funniest thing.  He just HAD to hold the ticket and give it to "the conductor" to get punched.  Such a big boy.

I sat across the aisle with Avery and my brother-in-law, Matt.  Isn't that hat so cute?  Old Navy!

 I know, I look like an over happy goober, but its the only one I got with Avery!!

 Cam with his Googa, having a happy conversation

When we got to South Station, there was a pretty awesome model train and Christmas village set up that Cam stood and looked at for a pretty loooong time!!  He loooved it!  He would have stood there and looked at it for the whole night if we had let him! 

And then there was Avery, happy little bundled up Avery.  It would have taken way to long to take her out of her snugly Bundle Me and snowsuit to looked at the train (which she would have loved!) but she stayed happy anyway, just starring up at her boring Mommy pushing her around.  Something about me she likes, cause I can make this little one smile just by blowing her a kiss.  I think I've found my best friend, cause she can make me laugh (or cry!) just by seeing her smile, too.  Unconditional love, all around! :)

Ok, back on track, we took a walk through the Boston Commons (where Mark and I got engaged!) and got to see the people ice skating. It was chilly, but we had the kids sooo bundled up, I don't think they minded, that much at least.  Avery slept almost the whole time!

Cam and I sitting on a frog! 

Mesmerized by something, the pretty Christmas lights maybe?  But doesn't he look so cute?  Even though he's such a big boy now (almost three!) He still has his little baby qualities!  The pinchy cheeks, the button nose and those eye lashes!  

A pathetic try for a family photo!  Cam looks like he's homeless with that blanket and you can't even tell that Avery is even there!  The singing bug toy is blocking her whole head!  Oh well, we tried!

 And Matt told me that I needed to get his written permission to post a photo of him on the blog, but oh well!  We love them to much to not have them included in the pics of our little adventure!

So after walking around a bit more and seeing some more lights and all the pretty buildings and churches in the area, we had dinner, which was great, and hoped back on the train with one sleeping baby and one toddler on his second wind who was a happy spaz burning all the energy needed to fall fast asleep almost right when we got home.  I would call this night a perfect success that I would love to do over and over again and never get bored of it!  Just seeing the kids reactions when doing something new to them is a new experience to me, even if I have done it a million times before.  Spending time with Marks family isn't always easy cause of busy work and travel schedules, but when we do, we always have fun!  I love them all from the bottom of my heart for who they are and what they do for us and our kids.  They are great parents to Mark (and in-laws to me) and great grandparents to the littles.  And all though I may have never said it to Matt or Katie, I love them like they are my own brother and sister and would do anything for them.  I think together, we make a pretty awesome family :)