Is it Really OVER??

Phew! It's over! Is it just me or is there always a little bit of a let-down after Christmas is over? It's just so much hype for one day and then BOOM! Over! Just like that. It's always totally worth it, but I sort of have to go into recovery mode after Christmas ends. Especially after posting all these pictures. Today is the day that I FINALLY got my house PICKED UP from Christmas. Not CLEAN, mind you. NO. Just PICKED UP!!!

Just a warning for those of you who aren't members of my family: This post might be boring.

The festivities started out at my sister, Joyce's house on the 23rd where we celebrated my Dad's birthday AND Christmas. Santa even popped in for a quick visit and the kids thought it was GREAT! Dad and Bette, I have no pictures of you because you started the present opening experience without me because I was nursing upstairs. HOW RUDE! Just kidding. Every time I nurse at a big family get-together or something I always feel like I'm missing out on all the fun. I'm always off in another room (or some toilet stall somewhere. GROSS!) wishing Faith would hurry so I could get back to the fun. I guess that's life.

Santa and Faith and Santa and Levi

The next morning (the 24th) was my Mom's Christmas. We had a great time even with all the chaos that comes from having 18 children in one room and wrapping paper strewn everywhere. On the way home, it started to snow. It didn't stop and it made it SOOO Christmasy!!! Is Christmasy a word? Is it Christmas-Y?

Mom and Brent opening up their present and Great Grandma with some of the kids. Check out the grin on Faith's face! She's a little performer, that one.

Some of the wrapping paper chaos and baby Faith with Aunt Erin

Every year I tell John that I wish it would snow on Christmas Eve so that we could wake up to a perfectly white Christmas. I honestly can't remember the last time it did. But this year we got lucky and it snowed and was SOOO beautiful Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Below are pictures of our front yard. LOOK AT THE SNOW!!!

Our backyard Christmas morning.


On to our OWN Christmas on Christmas morning. We woke up Levi (Yes. Can you believe we had to WAKE him up? I can't!!!) and we started our own family Christmas. My favorite thing is making Levi wait on the stairs so I can see his reaction when he sees everything. He can't hardly stand it and just giggles and waits until you say, "Okay! You can come down now!"

Below are Levi with his new guitar and Faith with Chicken Dance Elmo. I think she thought he was a real miniature person. Hey, and guess what I got? A NEW CAMERA!!!! YAY! Thanks John!

Levi with his cool glasses on and Faith with her learning table (Thanks for the idea, Denae!)

Levi opening and Faith posing with her Princess Robeez.


On Christmas night, we headed over to John's sister, Laurel's house for the Evans Christmas party. We had tamales, Brad's yummy Chili and what else? BLOG BROWNIES, of course! It always amazes me how little John's family eats compared to my own. I told John the other day that my family "lives to eat" and his family "eats to live". Do you think that's why John's family is skinnier? Hmmmm.

Faith with Aunt Julie (John's sister) and John, me and Faith

Grandma and Grandpa Evans opening up their present. I think Alice liked it. It made her cry. Levi with his present from Grandma and Grandpa Evans.


Just to show off a little more, here's some pics of my cute kids hammin' it up for the camera. Levi was being Hannah Montana (A future blackmail pic if I ever did see one) and Faith has taken to smiling for the camera on cue. Here's just a few shots of her doing so.

Faith being held by Lindsay on the left and Laurel (John's sister) on the right.

My mom and step-dad popped in for a visit Christmas afternoon.

To Celebrate the ending of the season, I've come down with a case of the HIVES and have no idea where they came from. My arms are covered in them and they are seriously the WORST!! I've never in my life had hives. I hope they go away soon. I'm thinking it could be from lack of sleep since sweet baby Faith has been up for the last THREE NIGHTS in a row teething. Sometimes she's happy and is bouncing and clapping and other times she's crying. Tonight I hope she sleeps because I really don't think I can take anymore hives. Please. Oh please. NO!!!!

(Hey, Jessica! Do you like my picture formatting? Thank-You.)