The Christmas Tour 2014

Growing up both my family and Jimmy's family lived close enough to either cross town or take a short day trip to celebrate Christmas with each other. We never traveled overnight to visit family over the holidays, so I never knew firsthand what it was like to do major traveling to reach people at Christmas. Until this year. Going to 3 states and spending the night in 4 different places over 8 days, with a potty-training preschooler and all our Christmas presents in the van (plus cold weather, threat of sickness, etc., etc., etc.)... made for QUITE the week. It was the most eventful Christmas I think I've ever had. We left on the evening of the 23rd after Jimmy and I both got off work. Despite his cold and the crazy pouring rain, Jimmy loaded (er, stuffed...) the van. We got to VA in time to go to bed and wake up for a full day of Christmas Eve festivities.

The first celebration of the day was with Grandma and Gene. Mom cooked a delicious lunch and then we all had a good time giving gifts, visiting, and relaxing afterwards.

Santa/Snowman Checkers (they just like to organize the characters...)

Everyone with a red shirt climb in this chair! I love how much fun they have with Gammer.

Gammer lets the boys do things like.... tie him up with Christmas yarn and wear safety goggles! You're a good sport, Dad!

The "cheese!!!" face and Henry's resistance. What we go through any time we want to take a picture with them looking at the camera (never mind smiling).

Charlie enjoyed hugging Gene. For some reason Charlie called him Aunt Gene most of the afternoon, despite repeated attempts to correct him.

After Grandma and Gene were headed back to Lynchburg, I headed out to jog on North Main. It has been a LONG time since I've been jogging in my hometown! When I got back, we all fixed ourselves snack-y dinners and got ready for the Christmas Eve service. The boys looked dapper in their little Christmas sweater vests and did remarkably well in the service. Henry actually slept through it since he had played so hard all day, and Charlie sat with Granana, quietly discussing all the shapes he could mold the candle into and eating animal crackers. After that we went to the annual dessert Christmas Eve party that I haven't been to since 2010. It was great to see everyone there and visit with people I don't get to see often.

Then back to my parents house to set up this!
The wrapped gifts are a Lego castle set, a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie, and a set of Disney's Planes the boys could shoot off a runway.

Henry's pile: A set of monster trucks based on "Mater's Tall Tales" which he loves to watch (and earlier in the fall would watch it daily during his nebulizer treatments) and a motorcycle. In the boys' stockings we gave them several pieces of dessert/candy and a Jake and the Neverland Pirates cannonball shooter.

Charlie's pile: His "Rudolph that makes sound" (the only thing he asked for), a new leash for his dog Roscoe, and things to bake some reindeer cupcakes (since he still talks about being a cupcake baker).

Surveying the landscape! (We had to wake them up, which was fine with me.)

See that cool Lego set?! They LOVE it!!!

"Look at our stuff!"

We let the kids open those gifts from us right after they got up, and then we had the nicest breakfast with the Bowens. Mom cooked her delicious brunch, and we all got to visit a while. After we cleaned up we exchanged gifts with each other.

The Byrds got Dad a certified National Lampoon's Uncle Eddie Moose Eggnog glass. He laughed as hard as we'd hoped he would!

We're really glad Dad likes to wear button-up shirts and sweaters (no dickies for him, thank you very much!)...

Having the last of his eggnog in his glass. :)

Charlie's Jack and the Neverland Pirates set from Uncle D

Thank you Uncle D!

Opening scooters from Granana and Gammer!

Mom's surprise silhouettes of the boys!

We got these done in October and I nearly couldn't contain myself I was so excited about it! I don't have a particular affinity for silhouettes (although I did get myself copies from the artist), but one Sunday afternoon when I was 7ish and Daniel was 2ish she got silhouettes of us done. They have always hung in her house, and I thought she would love these too. I was thrilled to give these to her.

We headed to Jane's for Christmas dinner in the afternoon.
Here are the little boys and not-so-little Shayna at the kids' table.

Singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus." Everyone had a cupcake for him and a candle to blow out. So precious!

Blowing the candles out!

Yum!

Afterward we had gift time: LOTS of gifts for the little ones, and a rowdy game of Dirty Santa for the adults! We spent the night with Aunt Jane and Uncle Frank since her house is loosely "on the way" to TN (we didn't need to go back to VA or back to our apartment in NC before heading to Bettra's). We enjoyed that extra time to relax in Eden with family, and after a yummy breakfast the next day we hit the road and headed west!

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