Berger Family: Berger Christmas 2013

This year was like others with many Christmas stops. I keep saying things need to change but I'm at a loss of how to make any changes (although one year it would be nice to stay home both Christmas Eve and Christmas and tell anyone who wants to see us to come on over, we're not going anywhere... ya... a girl can dream). Christmas Eve we headed to my mom and Tim's new house in Woodburn and did our own Christmas with my step brother Jeff. Later some of my mom's family came over and we got a chance to introduce Audrey to some who had never met her. We left quickly after eating and headed to church to see Grandma Pat "work it" as Samantha said when I told her grandma was working. haha. We got home about 9 pm, put cookies and milk out for Santa, finally got the girls to bed, and then Josh and I did our Christmas. I ended up not falling asleep until close to midnight, and then we were up at 6 Christmas morning.

Sam was sleeping, but I needed to bake some muffins for breakfast and we had lots of presents to open before heading out the door for the day. We woke Sam up a little later and she seemed to care less that anything had happened while she was sleeping, she was more interested in the toys she got the day before at my mom's. Finally she got into opening her stocking, and then presents. (Audrey woke up and had a bottle around 5 and then went back to bed so we let her sleep until the last possible moment before we needed to leave) By the time we loaded the car with food, presents, and kids we were on our way to Grandma Pat's house at 8:30... when really we were hoping to be there at 8:30, but even getting there at 9 was a stretch... not sure how that's going to work next year with 2 girls opening presents in the morning before we go. We spent the morning with Pat's side of the family all opening piles of presents and eating yummy food, and then doing stockings.

Next stop was Grandma Kaye's side of the family out in Gresham/Troutdale area for more food and presents. Luckily it's a name drawing kind of gift exchange so it didn't take hours like the morning did (although the kids get lots anyway, and enjoyed it). After hanging out for a bit, we were off to my dad's sister's house (since it's 5 blocks away) for another gift exchange with my aunt and uncle and cousin Tracy and her new husband Keith. Sam loved having Tracy wind the snow globe train over and over again. She had Tracy trained I think. Finally the night came to an end and we were on our way home again.

We got home around 7 and still needed to get the car unloaded and let Audrey open her presents. Audrey got to see her new toys from Santa and had a chance to play on the floor for the first time really all day. The poor girl didn't nap unless in the car, and had a dramatic hyperventilating moment at one stop when we thought she was sleeping in a sound proof room, and turned out she was crying hysterically. Whoops. She's alright.

I of course couldn't just bring piles of stuff in and leave the house a mess, so I started to clean. Poor Josh got a cold for Christmas and it was at it's worst Christmas day and by the time we got home he was done. After the girls were in bed I told him to go to bed too. I stayed up taking all the goodies out of bags, setting up toys, running a load of dishes, putting Christmas wrapping away, and making the house mostly clean enough so that I wouldn't have to spend all day the 26th cleaning and searching for any particular toy Sam wanted.

The 26th was a nice mostly relaxing day, and then Friday my dad and Kaye came over for our family Christmas and of course more presents for the girls. After a month of having Christmas decorations in the house, 3 weeks of the tree, and 3 days of Christmases I was done. Friday night after people left I gathered all the decorations and made it easier for myself to put them away the next morning. Saturday morning I put all the decorations away and took all the ornaments off the tree. Thank you to Josh for taking the lights off the tree and hauling it to the curb. The boy scouts came and got it a few hours later. I'm glad to have the house back, now covered with more toys, but back none the less. The girls had a great Christmas, and Sam has spent the last few days playing with all her new toys and watching new movies. Yesterday we watched Turbo, and this afternoon we will watch Planes. Josh and I are excited.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Josh and mine, and especially the girls Christmas so great. Warning, many, many, many, photos below!