Riley Christmas 2011

When you have a HUGE family like mine it takes a lot of scheduling to get us all together! We did Christmas on New Year’s Day this year. It was perfect, it gave the boys time to enjoy their toys from Santa before they loaded up again from Nana & Paw Paw! My parents go overboard every year with Christmas. They always have and to be honest our boys are so lucky to have them! My Mom puts a lot of time and effort into all of the gifts. She really wants to make everyone happy and in the end she does (except the parents who have to find places for all of these toys!) Our family is growing every year with our newest addition Sophia! That is my brother’s new little girl who celebrated her first Christmas! As usual the food was great, the company was incredible and the house was LOUD! I love that our family is so big! I love all of my siblings, sister in laws, brother in laws, nieces & nephews. My boys are really blessed to have so many cousins! On to the goods!

Paw Paw with his Grandbabies

Mandi, Trenton, Sophia & Trace

The happy couple celebrating their 9th Christmas together!

Playing a little basketball in the living room

Cousins: Alyssa, Logan, Celeste, Trace & Jaycie

Sonya & Tony (broken collar bone – OUCH)

Sweet Sophia!

Let the gift opening begin. This is hilarious with parents trying to snap pictures and kids throwing paper everywhere!

Trace had fun (when he wasn’t screaming)

Daddy & Trenton showing off his new race track

I think this is the look of becoming overwhelmed with gifts, if that is at all possible for a 4 year old!

Still opening…..

and more….

and more…I’m making sure he isn’t opening Trace’s gifts too.

He was super excited about this ship. I knew how bad he wanted it and told my Mom!

Drew getting lost in all the paper!

Celeste with her new softball glove

My angel love!

Trenton is helping Trace open gifts

I promise he was excited about his air compressor

Daddy & his little buddy

This is what my Mom likes to call a “stocking”

All of the girls got light boxes for next Christmas to display, bath & body stuff, gift card & candy!

The boys loot

 

Sisters & Sister In Laws

Sonya, Me, Laurie, Miranda, Hollie, Kym

My BFF!

Laurie & Celeste

Alyssa & Laurie

Maddie, Laurie & Jaycie

My little brother Joseph

My big brother Joe

Maddie & Jaycie

Paw Paw & Mandi

My parents! 

Jaycie & Trenton (these two have so much fun!)

Laurie & Sonya (SIL)

Maddie, Mimi & Jaycie

The guys

  The girls with Mom

Mom & my Sisters!

And because I was playing photographer I got a Nook which I am super excited about!

Lolly Pops make it all better!

 

Christmas 2011

Thanks to being in the car for 6 hours and Trenton sleeping for the last 2.5 of the trip Santa had a LATE night. That kid was bouncing off the walls until close to 10pm. Christmas was so much more simple this year. The boys really do have an obscene amount of toys that Santa had a pretty small list to choose from. Trenton came running into our room at 7AM yelling “There are presents, there are presents!” I kindly asked him to climb in bed with us because it was WAY too early. He laid there for a few minutes before he just had to get up. The look on his face was priceless when he saw his new bike! No initial picture as the batteries in the camera died. Welcome to my life!  Trace was still asleep so we made Trenton wait, but only about 30 minutes later did Trace wake up.

Who wouldn’t want to see this cute PEEK-A-BOO face on Christmas morning! 

  

This is Trace’s 2nd Christmas! He is so big this year!

Just for fun this was LAST YEAR! My sweet 2 month old little boy!

Trace went straight for the cookies Santa left behind. I am glad to see he doesn’t like to see things go to waste!

So much excitement over the new big boy bike!

 

Trenton opening his stocking!

He got Ninja Legos, Candy & Transformers

Mini Transformers that go down as small as a hotwheel!

The bike looked so huge in the house, but once he got outside it was PERFECT!

Who wouldn’t love a 4 foot color in Spider Man!

I think Daddy is way more excited about this gift.

 

Trenton wanted to know “Why Santa only bought one controller?” I guess he wasn’t aware it didn’t come with 2. Maybe he should have read the box!

All of the little boys on the street have their own light sabers. Trenton was so happy to finally get his own!

  Opening games for the Wii & PSP

That smile makes it all worth it! 

 

Trace had a good time opening his presents. Can’t you see the pure bliss on his face?

Trace’s loot

Giant Construction Set & Bouncy Ball

Trenton’s Loot  

Trace climbs on everything. I am very pleased that Fisher Price makes their toys so sturdy!

How cool is this set! The remote controls the dump truck. Trace was scared to death of it at first, but quickly learned to love it!

However, big brothers toys were much cooler!

We had a very blessed Christmas. Our boys were happy with their gifts. Gene cooked a nice ham and I made potatoes and corn. It was a nice day and then we headed to The Scalise’s for a nice evening with friends!