Our Great Big Crazy Chaotic Christmas

FIVE DAYS.

Four sets of grandparents.

Two very tired parents and one girl.

One Christmas Eve sickness.

A few big surprises.

Infinite joy.
***

Christmas Eve at my Mom's.


It's a time for coming together



Dancing


Chatting and catching up


New pajamas


*hers say "chillin' with my homies"*


and warmth.

**************
Christmas morning is a huge event. Twelve relatives pack a living room already stuffed to the brim with presents.


Left to right: Cey cey, Mama ruggles, Bendy Ruggles and the Great Hush.

Scuncle Miles munches a bagel and strikes an "unposed" pose.

Uncle O-Dizz

Left to right: Uncle Matt, Scuncle Bobby and Uncle Mitch nabbed the couch.

Aunt Tam-tam getting to know her new purse :)

Me and the beautiful bendy ruggles.

Dada Ruggle and the girl.

Left to right one more time: Cey Cey, O-dizz, The Great Hush and Grumps

Stacks tower high above the children, and finding your designated *spot* is sincerely a free-for-all. Stockings are opened at once; the rest of the gifts are opened one by one so they can be fully appreciated and celebrated by all.

It goes a little something like this:

MAJOR GIFT ALERT: Hush opening a new computer from the entire family!

MAJOR GIFT ALERT: Cey Cey strums her new guitar from the Grumps!

After a major gift is opened, there is always some form of dancing, chanting and revelling. Observe the O-dizz busting out with an improvised hoe-down dance.


If any explanation is required, it will come in the aftermath of said revelling.


We always break for food at some point. There's no way we could make it through our six hour (on average) celebration without some fuel.

Bendy Ruggles and her plate of munchables.

Father and son :)

Looks like David was able to grab a spot from one of the boys when they got up for food. What's that cheesy saying? Oh, yeah. *You move it, you lose it*... Especially on Christmas!

Christmas at Cey Cey and Grumps' is a magical gathering of many crazy personalities, but that's what makes it so special.


When we finish our celebration, we are overwhelmed with love and gratitude- and not just a little bit tired. In fact, some of us are prone to just laying down where we're standing and taking a catnap:

But we can't sleep for too long! There are other celebrations to be had...
***
Off we go to Massachusetts to visit with camera-shy Nana and Papa, Auntie Brigitte and cousin Kaden. We had more joyous gift-opening time, and then we all began to feel a little bit like this:


So we had to take a little bit of time to relax and recover.

Dada Ruggle checking out one of his new books.

Ilyana having a sit-down moment.

What do you mean why am I not napping? This IS me relaxed!

By the next day, we were refueled enough to play for a while

before saying good-bye and heading off to visit Grammy and Pep!

Kaden kisses Ilyana good-bye.

***
At Grammy and Pep's house, Ilyana spotted the radio flyer horse that Nana had gotten for her right away and immediately hopped on.


She spent a big part of the night bouncing and rocking away.


Of course, she still found time to sit with her Dada for a while.

When she got tired, she snuggled down in the beautiful new sweater her Grammy made for her and hugged her momma for a bit.

This is tired...


And these two are love-snug-huggly.


I don't think she was the only one who was feeling a little tired, though.


Droopy Dru

Mellowed Momma

Pooped-out Pep

Mitch seems like he's struggling to stay awake...

Jack taking a break.

I think my stepmother Liz (Grammy) was the only one still up, around, and perky at this point. She was actually doing things, and since I was barely moving from the couch at this point, she doesn't show up in the pics :(

We spent the night with Grammy, Pep and the boys. Got a good night's sleep in a comfy bed and had a bunch of yummy food (my Dad makes a killer carbonara!)... The next day, we were rejuvenated enough to make the trek home with our load of booty, unpack it, and start setting up. Oh, and to start playing our new Wii, which was a totally unexpected and amazing gift from Cey Cey and the Grumps :) I heart Wii fit.
***

Our last stop for Christmas festivities was Nana and Bumpa's house. Illy had a big stack of gifts waiting for her and especially loved the kidz jam station. As soon as she ripped that paper back, it had her full attention:

Illy opens the jam station

And once Dada and Bumpa showed her how to use it, she was hooked.

Dada and Bumpa figuring out all the knobs, whoosiewhatsits, and doodads on the jam station.

Ilyana jams to her heart's content.

Of course, she pretty much loves to jam anywhere, anytime. So we had to let her get in on some Guitar Hero when we busted it out. Who knew that she'd bang those drums like such a pro?

Funky pic Dada Ruggle caught where you can see her drumsticks moving. That girl knows what she's doing, I swear!

Cutest drummer around.

Sweet and innocent, tired little ruggle.

That night, me and Dada ruggle had the chance to get out for a date night, which was wonderful as well. A nice cap to a wonderful, but tiring and crazy, Christmas celebration.
***
I love Christmas because it's the time of year when we step back, take a breather, and spend some time with the people who are always there for us... because even though family is the most important thing in life, sometimes we take them for granted.