Extended Family Christmases - Joyners & Howes

I am playing a bit of catch up over the next few days to document Christmas. We had multiple family get togethers plus our own family Christmas and a ski trip over the last 10 days. Also,throughout the whole time everyone in our family has been sick. So, I will have a few posts this week to catch up. All in all, we are glad to be in 2012 and all starting to feel a little better. I sincerely hope your Christmas/ New Years went well!

I was very fortunate to get to have Christmas get togethers with both sides of my extended family this year. The excitement/anxiety level for each side is polar opposite considering that on one side, Kinley & Ty are the only kiddos and on the other side we have 8 ages 3 and under. I think the pictures speak for themselves.....and be prepared because there are a lot!

Our Christmas Eve we spent with the Joyner side of the family. We gathered at mom's for a meal and a mediocre Cowboys game and then were off to our parents church for Candlelight service. Kinley and Ty got some sweet presents from family.

And we took a lot of family pics. Most are very calm and happy, with little drama....

Grants & Montemayors

Momma Gay & Pepa and their kids

Howes/Harrisons

Harrisons

of course, the obligatory stair-step picture...

and everyone after candlelight...

Kinley had fun walking on the pews...

On Christmas Day, we got to spend the afternoon with the Howe side of the family at Lois & Jack's. It was truly hilarious. There was not a dull moment all afternoon / evening. I think at some point every kid had a meltdown...not usually at the same time..it seemed like one after the other. Kinley threw a couple fits because she did not want to stop playing and come inside from the garage or downstairs to eat. Shocker! But, all the kids really did get along well though and had so much fun. We also got together on Christmas Eve Eve at Josh and Kristy's house and that was super fun too. Everyone had a blast together...but, I don't have any pics of that. I realized how hard it is to take pictures and hold an infant at the same time. That is why my pictures from Christmas are mainly ones my mom took with my camera since I was holding Ty alot....but, I digress. I think it was my cousin David that mentioned how special and important it is to him to get all our kids together as often as we can because we all grew up close and he wants our kids to grow up close also. I could not agree more. It is mass chaos...but, so much fun and definitely unforgettable.

There was a lot of mingling and catching up.

Natalie is pregnant with great-grandkid #9 and looks amazing!

The "Big" Kids table consisted of Kinley, Aubrey, Winlon and Luke. "Big" meaning over 2 years old. Ha! The idea was for them all to sit down and eat there together but, I don't think there was ever a time where they were all there at the same time eating.

How cute is my god-son!?

Ty was great and let lots of people hold him with a big smile on his face.

All the kids got lots of presents from lots of family. That was also mad chaos and I am not too sure I know what they got from whom...but, I know Inie & Bull gave everyone tractors and I love this pic of Kinley and Aubrey and their faces. They are so excited!

They also got these super soft Christmas blankets that Kinley immediately layed down on.

Also, Kristi made these amazing poufs for all the kids that are truly perfection. They can be used as booster seats, pillows, tables for reading or whatever. I LOVE the fabric she picked out for every one of them. She said she picked out the fabric specific to each kids room. She sewed and had piping on them all that popped...they are amazing. I wish I had gotten picks of all of them!

And then there are these family pics....a little more chaotic!!

Knowles...Speight is asleep on David's shoulder. Ha!

Parker / Holmes

Harden

Howe/Harrison...we discovered the key to Kinley behaving in a picture is to let her put her arm around Ty.

Inie & Bull and their kids.

And how about attempting a picture with Inie & Bull and all 8 great-grandkids...pretty impossible! For some reason it was like the last thing we did and everyone was silly/tired. Speight was asleep through some so David jumped in and Ty is already in his carseat.

Bull needs a little help...

Do yall's pictures of kiddos look like this??