Making merry

The kids posed for pictures for a gift for Adam. (They had me take the pictures.)  He gets to choose his favorite and they'll get it printed for his office at work (which is spartan like Adam's offices always are).

They had me take picture after picture of the older two dressed nicely and smiling prettily and Mark in ripped sweat pants, being uncooperative.  This passes as comedy for these people.  Here are two samples:

I'm not sure what Adam will pick...or what his coworkers will think.

The kids lined up all the bears, from oldest to newest:

We reminisced the circumstances of each bear joining the family.  Does anyone else have a stuffed bear scrapbook like this?  Because each bear reminds us of something that happened that year.  And they are the most cuddled scrapbook on the planet.

We read Christmas stories aloud on Christmas Eve.  Adam read Twas the Night Before Christmas and the kids acted it out with the bears.

It was splendid.

Everyone's tucked snug in their beds.  (Emma's crown is from her Christmas cracker.  We aspire to be British on Christmas Eve.)

That's Pa in his kerchief.

Santa had a rocky ride ere he flew out of sight.

Later we watched some old family movies.

I loved seeing Braeden's enthusiastic amiability that hasn't ever changed.  I loved seeing Emma carefully considering every question anyone asked her because she has never not ever wanted to be wrong.  I loved seeing video of Adam's dad interacting with his lucky grandchildren.  I loved when infant Mark came on the scene.  My favorite thing Braeden observed about his new unresponsive brother:  it's like he's dead with his eyes open.

The good news is, Mark got a lot more active as he aged.

Christmas day we had a skiff of snow:

Braeden marked the occasion with a footprint Noel.  Who does that barefoot?  Braeden.

We opened presents that made us feel loved.  Christmas morning is my absolute favorite.  Emma texted me this:

We ate lots of delicious food.  We watched a movie, snuggled under blankets.

We played with Legos.

Lots.

My job was sorting the Legos into the trays.  I told them I was the wind beneath their wings.

  I took a picture and Emma said, "I made a weird face."  Braeden said, "Same."  Of course they did.

There's nowhere I'd rather be than with this group on Christmas.