A Western KY Christmas

We headed West to spend Christmas with my grandparents...all the kids in tow. I am so lucky that my children are such great travelers, as they let Mommy and Daddy listen to the UK game on the radio before getting to watch a movie. Our road trip was uneventful and the kids were fabulous all night long...until it was time for bed...more on that later...

Miss Berkeley and Daddy BuckThe babies
Berkeley 4 mos, Gracen 7 weeks

Hugs for Talmage

Gracen and Berkeley hanging out under the tree

Berkeley showing off her new headband

Cousins

Mommy-Anne and Berkeley

smiles!

Granna the reindeer (not Devil, as it looks in the picture!) and Berkeley

Hanging out with Aunt Kacey

We were lucky enough to have a short visit from Santa Clause before opening gifts. I was pretty sure that Ava would be thrilled, but as Santa entered the house she bolted!! I had to coax her back into the living room with promises of presents. Berkeley on the other hand, didn't even notice the jolly bearded man and Tal was too busy to stop and talk to Santa.

Berkeley's first time sitting on Santa's lap

Once we finally got Ava on Santa's lap (she was a little apprehensive, if you can't tell), she told him that she wanted a Princess jump rope, a Princess yoyo, and a Princess (of course) hula hoop.

Tal looks like a deer in headlights!

Opening gifts

Princess Ava helping Mommy-Anne open her gift. Ava ryan bought her dish soap, as at Thanksgiving she proceeded to dump all of her's in the sink

A very pooped Princess

Around ten o'clock, Matt and I loaded up all of the kiddos and headed to Aunt Karol's house to go to bed. We thought for sure that they would all crash because they could barely keep their eyes open...but somewhere in the 30 second drive next door, they all caught their second wind! We tried our best to ignore the fact that they weren't sleepy anymore, as we set up two porta-cribs, filled sippy cups, changed diapers, and put on jammies. All 5 of us sleeping (or not sleeping in this case) in the same room wasn't going to happen. Ava kept getting out of her bed, first for water, then for bread, then she told us Tal wanted bread...and then water...you get the picture! All of this movement kept Talmage, my little one who goes to bed each night without issue, awake. At 1am (their time, 2 am our time) we had had enough of chasing kids. I, because I had a pounding sinus headache and itchy throat, took Advil PM...so I was more like a zombie chasing kids up and down the stairs and hardly remember anything. However, one thing I do remember is my mom coming to get Ava around 2 to take her to her room and then Tal coughing his head off around 3:30 am and somehow sitting on the toilet in a hot steamy bathroom holding my crying baby boy around 4am, all the while very "drugged" and unable to feel my own lips! It was a long night and an even longer drive home the next day. So, what did I learn, you ask? Well, #1 5 people in one bedroom is never a good thing, #2 Advil PM is fabulous IF you can go to bed after taking it, and #3 nights like these are what memories are made of...