Chillicothe Christmases

We left our house on Christmas Day to go to Chillicothe.  For the first time ever everything was taking place on the same weekend.  Score!  We had a total of six present-opening parties (including our own) over the course of four days.  Whew!  First up was my family on Thursday night.

hilarious book that Grandma and Grandpa got Olive

It was the nicest Christmas weather I remember so we played outside

Marissa and Casey brought a mustache game for everyone to play

Kerr Christmas was at lunch on Saturday.

The great white elephant exchange (plus calendars)

We brought the mustache game, and look at the awesomeness that ensued.  Great-grandma Velma with a sweet stache!

What a sneaky stache!

Susan was really the sneaky stache and I couldn't take a picture fast enough!

After raging for awhile (overtired Olive is not a pleasant Olive), she eventually put herself to sleep in the corner.

A real mustache!

Then back to my parents house for dinner and the Meneely/Schad/Stapp white elephant exchange.  Followed, of course, by an epic family game of Diminishing Words.  It is always super fun to play when my parents and aunt and uncle join in!

Sunday we went to Steve's parents' for Granny and Papa gifts.  Somehow no pictures were taken.  Then we went to great-aunt Peggy's house for Hickman Christmas.  I tried to get some cousin pictures...

Gwendolyn (2) Ainslyn (7) Hannah (5) and Olive (3)

Four generations: Great-grandma Alice, Granny, Steve and Susan, and their girls

After we left Hickman Christmas we drove over to Meadville for my great-aunt and great-uncle's 70th anniversary celebration.  Then on to Chillicothe to visit another great-uncle who was in the hospital.  We saw the lights in Simpson Park before heading for home.

We unpacked our car Sunday night and then Monday (after re-packing!) we were off to St. Louis!  

Christmas

Christmas.  I think it is even more exciting as a parent than a kid.  I couldn't wait for them to open up their gifts.  Apparently they couldn't either because they snuck downstairs and got all the stuff out of their stockings before waking us up.  Hmmm...

The first thing Olive said was, "It's not Christmas!  There isn't snow!"  We read so many Christmas books with snow in them that she couldn't believe we could it could still be Christmas when it was 50 degrees outside.

Four Elsas.  Olive got her dress and immediately put it on.  Hannah had to be talked into it.

As usual opening gifts was a long process.  This year they clocked in at 2 hours 15 minutes.  They played with each present after opening it, and one time that included changing clothes, putting on pads, and moving the cars out of the garage to ride a new skateboard.  Of course she is already better than me.

New science set

The aftermath....which stayed like this for 10 days because we immediately left Christmas afternoon for Chillicothe and then spent the week of New Year's Eve in St. Louis.  I had a small panic attack coming home to this (plus all the Chillicothe gifts).

Hannah's favorites were her skateboard, Goldie Blox zipline, and the baby doll equipment (crib, bouncy seat, etc.)  Olive said she liked the matching Elsa dresses and doll equipment.  Steve and I were surprised the girls weren't more excited about the Barbie doll house.  Luckily we didn't spend any money on it since it was Marissa's old one. :)

Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve...the one time a year I make cookies from scratch.  They were delicious!

Union Station Train Ride

Before Christmas we made another trip to Union Station to ride the train and see a Christmas show at the planetarium.  We also checked out the new exhibits at Science City (very cool, but I didn't take pictures...you'll have to go with us to see them!).  Then we met Steve for lunch and tried out Middle Eastern cuisine.  Very fun!

Painting Bird Houses

This year the girls painted birdhouses for their grandparents and great-grandmas.

Hannah's houses

Olive's houses