Christmas With The Extended Family

We had such a wonderful Friday night and Saturday.  Mom, grandma, brother and sister-in-law came to town last night and we met the kids for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.  Just love spending time with the family.

This morning I made scrambled eggs with chopped fresh jalapenos (Yum-O!) served with picante sauce and sour cream.  I do believe it is a new favorite breakfast!  Then we all piled into cars and headed to my cousin's house for our Christmas celebration.  My grandmother started the tradition - longer ago than I can remember - that we get together the Saturday before Christmas to see all the extended family.  She knew that everybody would be with their families on Christmas and this way we could all see each other.

This year we had 6 littles under the age of 2 1/2 years old!  Oh what fun and what a joy they all were...even though none of them had much of a nap.  They all played well together and just had a grand time.  My cousin transformed one of the rooms of her home into the North Pole Playroom complete with a small ball pit and crawling tubes!  So now get ready for the pictures.....

This is my cousin's grandson Max, who is not quite 2 years old, sitting in the ball pit with Miss B.

Not a good quality photo, but these kids were moving f.a.s.t.!  And I wanted to show Miss B once again with major static hair.

Crawling through the tubes was so much fun!  I think I was a little bit surprised that Brooklyn wasn't scared by them.

At the end of the afternoon, as the sun set slowly and the major cold front blew in, both babies finally gave up and fell asleep.  B fell asleep in Loni's arms and then moved to Aunt Shell and poor little Max fell right asleep while sitting at the table eating.  Bless their hearts.

And good times....

At the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky
And flinging the clouds and the towers by,

Is a place of central calm;
So here in the roar of mortal things,
I have a place where my spirit sings,
In the hollow of God's palm.

                                     Edwin Markham