Thursday, December 30, 2010

Finally Getting to Christmas

Our Christmas was pretty mellow this year. Usually we have a few friends stop by but this year it was just the family pretty much.
Gabe and I were up early to stuff stockings and wrap presents and tune into thee ol Yule Log on TV
Santa brought Parker a pretty Awesome Go Cart drifter! We were anxious for the kids to get up to see their gifts but they slept in until about 10:30am! Ava got a new Rocking horse from Santa (not pictured)
There was some cookies left for Santa ...he ate a few ...must have been full from all the other stops
Like my fire place!
We were really lazy about decorating the house for xmas this year and hanging the stockings somewhere nice so we just kinda hung them where ever we found a hook. Poor Gabe's stocking..it was too heavy to hang.
Ava finally got up...She didn't care about all the presents under the tree..she just wanted those leftover cookies.
Parker soon got up too and rushed for his stocking...it is AMAZING how much stuff fit in that thing..I swear it has some sort of endless black hole in it
Oh and first things first..gotta take the new go cart out for a spin.
All the kids heard it and came out..needless to say Parker is the most popular kid on the block now with that and his electric razor scooter too.
Soon all the family started to come over. The twins were really into wanting to open presents. Ava didn't care at all to open presents.
Once everyone showed up we handed presents one at a time to each person and watched each individual open their gift. The Kids got SO MANY toys and clothes! Logan playing with his new cars toys.
Ava and Lexi opening presents. I swear the Twins must have gotten like every new fisher price little people playsets. I don't buy them for Ava though cause I have all the original Little people playsets from the 60's through the early 80's for Ava.
Jess got Jess some pretty Snazzy new boots!
I got some pretty good items too. Just opened some awesome clothes from my mom, and a cool retro kitty necklace from Jess and this VERY COOL Box Set of the COMPLETE series of I LOVE LUCY..who is my FAVE!!! I also got gift cards and Sims 3 for my Wii!!!
My mom got the perfume box set she's been wanting!
OH BOY NEW PANTS FOR ALEX!
Gabe got lots of clothes. I bought him Some Penguin Silk Ties , Ben Sherman Shirts and Annual Passports to Knott's Berry Farm!
Ava got her very own make up kit..Maybe she will stay outta mine now..she always wants to mimic me when I put on make up. This one is just clear glittery glossy stuff. Oh and she LOVES little Pet Shop. She got I swear almost every Disney Princess Playsets too. She loves Princess stuff.
She could not stop playing with her Pets. She also received a Deluxe Fisher Price Loving Family Dollhouse with some furniture, A Disney Princess Vanity Mirror, Tea set, Clothes, and quite a bit more toys...too many to name really..I guess this weekend I will be getting rid of old stuff she does not play with..hmmm looks like a yard sale is in my future.

My dad opening up his present from me...i got him those oh so popular Pocket Camcorders
My brother was pretty stoked about his xbox game I got him..my dad is still excited over his camcorder.
Parker really hit the jackpot this year too. Besides his new Razor Drifter, He got video games for Playstation and DS,a Metal detector,hot wheels crash up thing he has been wanting, lego battleship game,clothes and tons of other toys I cannot even remember.
My husband is so Great. There were two things I had on my wish list which I was SO not expecting to get..1 was a Tiffany & Co charm I been eyeing for almost a year now of a little vespa scooter in Tiffany blue and 2 the New IPOD Touch cause I totally fell in love with my bosses Ipod Touch...Gabe got me both! I told him You didn't have to get me those especially both!! and his response Why wouldn't I you deserve them! Really though the IPOD touch we will both use though so I would say it is more for like the both of us..and now I am finallygetting started on my Tiffany & Co charm bracelet!!
My mom made all the food this year and brought it over. We decided to set the tables up outside and have dinner. Ava was so tiny sitting in that chair at the table. She did have like 3 servings of dinner though!
everything was great! I had to leave the table and get the pie baking in the oven but first not without a shot of everyone eating
After dinner and dessert we all had some drinks and chatted and played music and enjoyed some of our gift. My dad was having fun playing Parker's Paper Jam guitar. My family all left later in the evening and Gabe and I just relaxed watching the kids play with their toys.
We finally got Ava to wear her Snow White dress too! while she played with her princess vanity mirror. It was a very good Christmas and nice to spend time with the family.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Eve with the McCaffrey's

Christmas Eve we headed over to Gabe's Older sister's Linda's house for dinner.
Gabe has a big family so a lot of the time we don't get to see everyone. There are a lot of kids as well in Gabe's family so every year it is decided to only buy gifts for the kids and then each adult bring a white elephant gift.

I love most though all the cousins playing together.
Kaden ( the second baby of the family..Ava is the baby of the McCaffrey Clan), Savannah, and Natalie
Ava stuck with the younger kids and girls.
Soon to follow were all the bigger boys!
Nick! Nick and Natalie are Gabe's sisters Linda's two children.
Andy, Ron and Florida ( Gabe's brother and Parents)
Gabe's Mom with Gabe's Sister Linda and her husband Anthony and I think the boy is Anthony's nephew.
Time to let the kids open presents..of course after our dinner.
Ava got a Bucket of Dinosaurs (which she loved) from uncle Andy and a New Talking Jesse doll from Toy Story3. Parker got a cool Remote control Police car and a Lego Racer and Steven gave us all Gift certificates for In and Out!
Kaden excited to open presents!
Parker and Uncle Andy
Time to play the White elephant...it was lots of fun..even some of the kids got to play. We ended up taking home an electric wine opener...AWESOME!!!
It was late...as you can see we had some faders in the crowd!
Ava and Bobbi ( Davina's sister's daughter who was born the next weekend after Ava) were mesmerized by the Choo choo around the tree
They were so cute talking to each other.
Nick and Natalie got to open their home presents at midnight. After they opened theirs and we chatted with the family some more we soon had to excuses ourselves cause we still had a TON of presents to wrap at home. It was a good time. We didn't get to see all of Gabe's family such as his sister Cindy and 3 of his brothers but nonetheless it was good quality family time! and Parker had a blast playing with his cousins Nick,James and Gavin..all 4 boys are only months apart in age so there was as you can imagine lots of rough housing!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Passport renewal long overdue...

Going back a little over a month ago my husband bought me for my birthday our annual Disneyland passports. I had the choice to either go on a wine tasting get away or the Disney Passports...so Disney Passports it was. Seriously I can NEVER get tired of Disneyland.
Parker however is another story..I don't think he cares for it much...Ava she Looooves it!
It was raining when we went to get them but that did not hold Gabe and I and Ava back from going! Parker was invited to a birthday party/sleepover with one of his best friends so he did not come with us this day.
First thing we did was walk over to CA adventure for a beer and to look around. Look A Gabe Action Figure!
The rain was not too bad...good Parka weather!
We took Ava on a BUNCH of kiddie rides..she had a blast!
After a few rides time to leave CA Adventure and head to Disneyland Park.
Ava looved stepping in the puddles.
Nice big rain cloud...one bonus to the rain..NO LINES!!
She was in too much AWE from all that surrounded her...oh and Someone needs a hair cut!
She didn't know what to think about this...............
As you can see on her face though..it was her Favorite!
She liked Pirates too!!
and of course the Tiki Room
I love how the castle looks all icy at xmas time...and the moon in the background was a added bonus!
Our last stop was it's a Small world but the line was so insane we decided to come back later and go on it..since we have passports after all..