Christmas

Christmas Eve

Christmas at the Gradys is always a lot of fun and it all starts with a very festive Christmas Eve complete with homemade caramels, the famous Grady cheese ball, shrimp cocktails, and lots of sparkling cider.  After finally separating ourselves from the appetizers, we head in to a delicious turkey dinner with all my favorite trimmings.  Later we eat homemade apple pie and cheesecake and then talk late into the night.

    Colin and Lydia had a great time playing with the choo choo   

Baby Reagan was so spoiled with all the attention!

Great Grandma Grady (can you believe she's 91?  She looks amazing!)

Two pals!

Playing trains

Practicing for our Christmas program.

Unfortunately they didn't really cooperate for the real thing :(

They did make one cute Joseph and Mary though! 

Uncle Brian and Aunt Leslie

Aunt Leslie is great with the kids and spent almost all her time with them - thanks!

Christmas Morning

The next morning we wake up and Santa has left gifts hidden around the house with strings leading us from our stockings to the hiding place.  

This year I asked Santa to not do a string for me, but he didn't heed my request!  It was blessedly short because with two kids to help it gets a little crazy trying to step over strings all the while taking pictures and trying not to trip!

Kevin's still a little bleary eyed

I was such a miser this year (mostly because I was so tired) that I told Kevin I wasn't planning on doing his string.  Thankfully, Grandma and Aunt Leslie took care of him!  I was just too stinking tired!  Kevin's string was pretty crazy ad spent most of its time out in the snow!  I am not sure if that makes Santa mean or really cool :)

Playing with their respective "string" presents