Izey's First Christmas

Packing up for Mama, Daddy, Baby, and presents for 11 other people proved to be more difficult than even Zach calculated. While we had hoped to get our butts in gear quickly enough to hit the road for Michigan on Friday night, we didn't end up leaving until Saturday at 10:30am. That put us in Michigan just in time for the Wierckz family (my mom's side) Christmas party.

Even though the below picture is a little blurry, I just love it. Nadia loves her cousin and Izey thinks she's pretty great, too. If I had let her, she would have carried him, fed him, and changed his poopy diapers (all tasks that she asked if she could do!), but since Isaac is about half her size, she was appeased with "helping" once in a while. You can see Izey's bottom teeth here, but what you cannot see are his brand-spankin' new TWO top teeth. It looks like there's going to be a gap between them. So cute!
A couple of years ago, the next generation on this side of the family suddenly started booming. Here are all the little kids, from left to right: Sam and Nadia (my brother's kids), Isaac (you know him), Scarlet (my cousin's little girl), and Ethan, Madison and Elliott (my Aunt Laura's three kids)
The next day, Izey was the only baby at the VanDusen family (my dad's side) Christmas party. At Nadia's suggestion, we made Spike true to his name with a little faux hawk action.
Below is Sammy who had just shoved an ENTIRE candy bar in his mouth.

This is in my parents' front yard. They have a giant pine tree that they deck out with white lights every year. As soon as you turn down our street, you can see it. It's magnificent! I took this picture after hours of eating fondue, drinking wine out of a box, and playing Taboo with all my aunts, uncles, grandma, grandpa, parents, sister, and a few cousins. Nothing says Christmas Eve like having a little too much to drink with the family!

I suspected that Zach had not stuck to our budgeted $40 to spend on each other when he woke me up BEFORE Isaac woke up on Christmas morning because he was SO excited to give me my presents. After angrily telling him he was crazy and going back to sleep for 30 minutes, we got up with Isaac and had our own Christmas morning.

I was right about the budget. Zach gets me tickets to a play every year, but since The Budget Talks of 2007, we had decided to forgo the tradition this year in lieu of a few stocking stuffers. But my sneaky honey had kept his Christmas bonus a secret! He's using part of it to pay for a babysitter, dinner and a play. We're going to see Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale at the Lookingglass Theatre on Michigan Ave. Each year we go to a new theater. It is my favorite gift!

Below is Izey among the ridiculous pile of presents at my parents' house. Yes, my mom did get a white Christmas tree this year, and yes, we did make fun of her for living up to her title as a Grandma.
Here Spike is playing with two of his favorite new toys: a piano (mama's choice) and Reggie, the cabbage patch kid with really....weird....hair. Check out Isaac's new sweater. He'll wear it when he goes to teach his philosophy class at the community college.
My 'rents got Zach Guitar Hero II, which is super fun! Here's Nadia, rockin' out.
The day after Christmas was the only day we didn't have ANY plans. Nothing like a little cuddlin' on a relaxing winter day.
Now we're in the middle of 2 days at home alone before the Danielsons arrive for more Christmas madness. Of course my body would choose this time to come down with a cold. Blah.

Merry Christmas everybody!