Christmas: part 1

Christmas part one: covers December 21st-27th

The Catron family Christmas was much anticipated this year being that it was the first time in 3 years that we have all been together for Christmas.  There was much planning including a 18 point email that may or may not have been started by me to help us all get organized and plan for the week.

Monday: Rex, Grant, and I loaded up in the van with 9 tubs of geo-trax trains, a basket of clothes for the week, and headed to Greenville.  The McQuaid crew arrived the day before so they were all settled in and ready for some cousins.    We just had a good day hanging out and catching up.  That night we went to Joe's Pizza on the square for dinner and felt like VIPs because we got to eat in the upper banquet room and we had it all to ourselves.  

bowling in Fairview with the McQuaids

Tuesday:  Sally and I planned a big IGA shopping spree to get all the ingredients we needed for herself and Annie to do a Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop later in the week.  On the way home Sally introduced me to Dirty Chai Latte's....life will never be the same.  Then we hung around Grandma's house till lunch when we loaded up all the kids and headed to Fairview for the rest of the day.  We fulfilled a long time wish of Aunt Sally and took all the kids bowling in Fairview.  They all had fun even Lily bowled a few rounds.  Then we had dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and headed to see the lights at the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.  By the time we got through with that it was time to head back to Greenville and get all the kids to bed. Later after all the kids were in bed the Stahr Family arrived.

Wednesday: was a fun morning of wake ups and the first time for all the cousins to finally see each other and play.  The house was busy with tinker toy weapon building, Geo Trax driving, Paw Patrol watching, and 9 kids asking how long till we open presents.  We also got to visit with the Miller side of the family in the afternoon.  And Will was able to come join us for dinner and a couples night out to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens on the big IMAX 3D Theater.  (props to Gma and Papa for putting 9 children to bed!)  IT WAS AWESOME!

Love these 2 little girl heads

Thursday: (Christmas Eve!)  Some of the natives were getting restless so a trip to the park was organized. (it was in the 50s after all).  All the big kids had fun at the playground and walking much of the trail around the lake.  Before we knew it, it was time to load up and all head to Fairview for the rest of the day.  We did sibling/cousin/Aunt and Uncle gifts at our house so all the kids had several present to open.

Stahr crew on Christmas Eve

Papa was popular

I felt honored that everyone was willing to come to Fairview for the Christmas Eve service rather than be at the annual Greenville one.  Afterwards I served homemade Vegetable soup and a Wildtree Potato Soup to everyone.  Everyone else headed back to Gville but we wanted to spend the night at home that night.  Partly because Will was off that night and we wouldn't see him again for a few day since he had to work the long weekend, and partly because we wanted Santa to be able to find us.

Christmas Eve service at Church

Friday: CHRISTMAS DAY! Got off to a quiet slow start (not what we had been used to the past couple of days.) Both boys slept in but Grant really slept in till 9 o'clock.  He also woke up with a fever (which lasted for the next 3 days and made him pretty listless the rest of the week.  Luckily his little body fought off the virus and he was well in time for our Kansas trip).  The boys had fun opening stockings at home before we headed to Greenville, with Millie this time.  We had a delicious brunch and then finally the moment the kids thought would never get here....it was time to open presents.(which I didn't take pictures of!)  The rest of the afternoon there was lots of Lego building, nerf gun battling, and digi bird whistling.

The crew at our Christmas Brunch feast

Hanging out Christmas morning with Grandma Lois and Papa Del was able to come for the morning from the nursing home

After the kids were in bed I enjoyed guiding Annie and Sally through a Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop.  It was good practice for me and they both had 10 meals to take home when we were done!

Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop with my sisters!

Never underestimate the power of a Papa with an ipad

Saturday: The McQuaids loaded up and headed South for home.  I held feverish Grant much of the day and enjoyed the last day with the Stahr's.

The Lego table crew on Saturday

Sunday: As they say all good things must come to an end.  The Stahr family loaded up (with Annie feeling nauteous and sick) and headed West and South for home.  We weren't far behind them.  We left after lunch leaving Millie behind so Grandma and Papa could watch her while we went and had Christmas Part 2...