lens love

still working out the kinks but i am in love. most images included in the post are far from perfect and blurry but i love them. what was i doing taking pictures without this lens? don't worry i am not going into business so i can join the club with sisters(not to mention my lack of talent) but who doesn't want pictures that capture you kiddies so perfectly and beautifully. wow. thanks mom....

poor grets had to go to the doctor the day after christmas.... another ear infection and strep throat. seems like we can't stay away from the doctor.

jude stays in his pj's most days until 2 or 3 because he is playing so hard with his toys. who has time to change?

its christmas time and time for a carol

for the first time in 26 years i had a christmas morning without my mom. it was difficult and i felt like i was cheating but it turned out wonderful. i am glad i have my own little family now and the christmas was wonderful.

we had to wake the kiddies up around 9 because we had to be to the greg's by 10:30 to talk to brennan. they were both pretty tired from the previous nights but managed just fine. jude as it turns out loves christmas, what a stretch!

how amazing that they match, right? as mentioned before, i love jammie heads.

sitting is not greta's strongest suit when she wakes up. she is however, totally edible.

all jude wanted for christmas was the "screamin' banshee" from cars and was quite thrilled that santa brought him one. sort of a dumb toy but what do you do when advertising gets to your kids? i think he was glad "santa" brought him more than just that.

prets got many toys suggested by her therapists and this was one of them. the singing stacking star is a great toy for developent because you don't have to put this type of stacking toy in order, just stack and play. greta is a total fan.

other christmas presents included a new fly tying box for trevan as well as a new grill and cookbook. i finally got a sewing machine and am now ready for project runway.

off to yaya's for more presents. jude got many star wars "chubbie guys" which he hasn't put down. grets got an amazing outfit and some hilarious toys that terri found, including a pig with sucking magnetic babies. amazing.

greta and momo were matching and it had to be documented. just so you know... greta's mouth is always open and she gets it from her aunt morgan. these two remind me of each other. i hope greta can be as sweet as morgan when she grows up.

___

after breakfast we went down south to my parents for more presents and a delicious christmas dinner. for some reason, i didn't take any pictures and we are all offended. needless to say my mom spoiled us again. trevan got a soft shell coat he has been admiring for years, i got an amazing lens for my camera as well as a forever 21 gift card and other goodies, jude got a scooter, and prets got her favorite present of all, the fisher price sing stage that she really truly loves. it was a great day!

this is my husband and i love him.
my new lens is finally doing him justice. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

eve of christmas

the gregory christmas tradition is to spend christmas eve at terri's parents house. the food is always the same (precious delicious) and the company too. santa comes and presents are given to the children. it is so wonderful.

i love this christmas tradition.

this is the santa and mrs. claus that polly hires. a little bit scary, a little bit white trash, but santa none the less.

so excited and so nervous....

when asked what jude wanted from santa he pointed to the present in santa's lap and said "that!".

cutest greta was fine with santa, she's fine with everything and everyone. she wasn't fine however if you took that giant binki away from her from terri's halloween costume circa 1972.

yandy with santa.
(snake eyes)

beautiful mo..

chelly with santa

cam was truly heartbroken when santa didn't pull out a present for him. he asked trevan when he stopped getting presents on christmas eve and trevan told him "when i got married.." and cam's reply was "but i'm not married!". touche.

gretsie's loot, she loved that ball enough to drop the giant binki.

after christmas jammie opening and sibling gift exchange jude was ready to be snuggled in for a long winters nap....

just in case we missed you....

xoxo,
us

temple lights

we have been planning to do this all christmas season. infact, were ready to go when we got the call about greta and life stopped there. i was dead set on making this happen so we could experience a little christmas spirit this year. what a perfect family night activity.

jude was almost as excited about the lights as he was the train (trax). we got the best of both worlds. looks like moey was excited too!

cam made the comment "i don't know who's scarier me, or uncle scott!". you be the judge. i was sure scott was going to start exposing himself any minute.

cutest coldest prets

trevan being artistic... love him

check out jude's birthmark. it turns dark purple when he gets cold, poor buddy was freezing.

cammy + judakins

i love this lady.

and then to gateway for some hot chocolate.
greta LOVES her papa. pretty sure the feeling is mutual. this girl has got us ALL wrapped around her finger.

dear blow-up anonymous....

remember this?

well, someone slashed it a few weeks ago. jude was DEVASTATED and we all literally shed a tear over it. i mean, who does that? last week on our way out to church we noticed that someone had left us a new one. little did they know what it meant to us, especially in our time of grief.

this guy made it all better.

we love you... thank you, whoever you are.
it meant the world to jude (and us).

williams party and the queen's story teller

we williams sure know how put on a christmas party. the williams christmas party has been a part of my life for as long as i can remember. we used to have a progressive dinner but due to our large number we had to give that aspect up. don't worry because the food, nativity scene, and of course the queen's story teller are still the same and 2008's party was one to be reckoned with...

the prets and eileen (aka shalayla)

this year we got to have grannie billie with us. she and trevan may love each other...

jude decided to put on his own nativity scene with the project he made in nursery. he loves that piece of paper and it goes everywhere with us.

probably the best part of any one's christmas party is my uncle lee (the queen's story teller)

every year lee dresses up and writes a beautiful christmas story to read to the children and adults.
he is amazing.

such the performer.... however, this years story "david's journey" was probably the best yet.

greta was enthralled..
(and i would like to thank laura of loulou designs for all of greta's amazing hair adornments, love her and her accessories)

now for the nativity scene. i love that we have one every year, its so fitting and always the light of the party. this year chris was joseph and cheyenne was mary.

here's a picture from the 1990 nativity scene.
personally, i think no one plays a better mary and joseph than chris and i.

darling poppy was jesus this year. poor greta missed the mark, she understudied the role though. interesting that brooke could supply baby jesus for 2 consecutive years....

landon and jude as shepherds

have i told you that i love her?
minie, so amazing.
the pig at the stable.

my 2 grandma's. so different. so wonderful.

the 3 wisemen, dustin was with the taliban.

angel's and lambie

and the fairest angels of them all.... tiffani and grets.


until next year.....