Christmas on the Ponderosa

Although the previous week brought a little stress when I realized Pete's family would be spending Christmas with us, I couldn't have asked for better really. Not that I didn't want them to spend Christmas with us, but since I had absolutely no clue they were coming, I was absolutely unprepared. I am a planner y'all! I am totally unorganized and I forget things and I frequently misplace things. I need a PLAN! I don't like not having the right food to serve, the right gifts purchased, and the right frame of mind! I know it sounds crazy but I is what I is! Anyhow it turned out great despite having no plan and I'm so glad the girls got to spend these last few days with their cousins!

We were blessed with beautiful unseasonably warm weather this week and the girls and Colten spent a lot of time jumping hay bales.

Colten even practiced kung fu as he bounced like a spider monkey from bale to bale.

Addie told me on Christmas Eve she was "doing some shopping on shopjustice.com... okay honey.. whatever you say.

We went with Nanny, Poppy, Uncle Ernie, Aunt Beth, and Colten to Coleman Lake Friday night before Christmas Eve. It was delicious as usual. I had my favorite clam strips and Ali Grace tore into crab legs as usual. The kids played checkers until our reservation time.

Somehow all the Cooper grands ended up in the car with me on the way home from Coleman Lake. They were OUT COLD by the time we got home! Addie really enjoyed sporting her zebra print dress and her black glitter flats. She was stylin' for sure. 

My favorite Christmas guest today was Sarah Rose! She cracked me UP the entire time she was here. You just have to hear her sweet voice to understand. Here she is with Gran joking around like she did the whole time she was here!

Sarah thinks she's one of the "bick gulls" (big girls). She fell on the rock wall outside and was just all to pieces until I told her Uncle Pete would go play with her on the "big jumpaline" (trampoline)/

Emma and Addie stayed in their own little world much of the time, running around and playing with their toy horses, whispering things cousins whisper and giggling about who knows what..

Pete got to spend some time with his brother talking about whatever it is brothers talk about ...

Christmas Eve night, the weather was so warm, we decided a hot dog/s'mores roast would be great! The girls loved it. It was a really clear night outside and the stars were huge. It's hard to imagine the stars over Bethlehem being much more beautiful than these.

Mama said we were acting like people who had no microwave!

Soon after we cooked outside, Ali Grace read my favorite Christmas verse in Isaiah. "For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Prince of Peace."

Then the Christmas gift craziness began.....

Christmas morning came with a full house around here.. quite interesting to say the least! Addie Belle was quite amazed!

Rubi LOVED her new bike!

and Ali Grace was very happy with her new wardrobe..

After seeing Addie's favorite Christmas gift from last year, a pull string Woody and Jesse, I was kinda sad. This year's favorite Christmas gift was a Kindle Fire. Wow.. what a difference a year makes. I told Ali Grace that she was looking a little too grown. She quickly gulped her kool-aid and with a red upper lip said "does this help with the age issue Mama?".. Yes, honey. Yes indeed.

My favorite Cooper family tradition is Christmas stockings.. REAL NYLON stockings.. My daddy had the same kind of Christmas stockings when he was a kid. The girls look forward to their "Cooper stocking" every year. Santa really outdid himself this year. Both stockings were taller than the children they were left for!

I hope you and yours have had a fabulous Christmas! Oh and one more thing- if you didn't get a card from us this year- I am so sorry. It was an ADD Christmas. I mailed about 12 cards I had addresses written down for, and in the process of finding addresses for the others, I LOST the cards! You all who know me will understand. Merry Christmas anyhow.