Visions of Sugarplums - Christmas 2011

Christmas... the holiday that always brings us all together.

For years and years, we've gathered around the tree, read the Christmas story from the bible, opened presents for hours, and enjoyed being together as a family. We've added new ones to the family and each year, there is a new baby in the family to welcome in to our traditions. The traditions we've cherished are becoming part of their story.

This December, work pushed and pulled us in every direction at a frantic pace. It was hard to catch my breath some days. Stress, stress, stress is the name of the game. The only cure for this stress is to desperately hold on to the fleeting moments of a Christmas movie with the kids, opening the first presents that come in the mail, feeling the chill in the air and cuddling up in our warm and cozy house. As the days rushed by in a blur, we finally made it...

...to 6pm on Christmas Eve.

That's when all the rushing came to a stop. The car was packed full of presents, a "ready-to-go" Dada, an extremely tired Mama, and two kids excited for Santa to come! We were ready to make the drive to Charleston, but first we took a Steak N' Shake break. Nothing a little strawberry shake with a cherry on top couldn't fix! Now we were ready to start driving.

Best Present of 2011

Seeing all these little cousins together, hugging, playing and running like crazy with excitement!


It's official, I'm addicted to baby boys in stripes. I had to have all these cuties in stripes!

Worst Present of 2011

Dean insisting on cuddling next to me, wrapping his arms around me and breathing on me, cozy in my bed for the entire month of December. Not in his crib. In my bed. Not "our" bed anymore... Firoze has decided sleeping with a baby is for the birds, so he flew the coop and ran away to the peaceful bed downstairs. Santa, take this gift back!



Mom helped to create the Christmas magic, making sure there were cookies for Santa when we arrived at 1:30am. This photo was taken on Christmas morning after Santa had his snack break!





Opening the first gift... Christmas jammies!




Go Chelsea!

And even some baby girl clothes for little Viviana, coming soon!





Mom - making her famous Christmas breakfast pizza!



New traditions - Christmas tattoos! (Thanks Court.)





And we had pirates...



And swashbucklers...



And amazingly cute heart breakers!



And Dean truly enjoyed antagonizing Haley. He meowed when she meowed. He poked. He petted. He got swatted and hissed at. But that didn't stop him!



After all that present opening, playing with cousins, chasing each other around the house for an hour... this little Santa looks dazed!



And then there was the Baby Snuggle-off 2011.

Contender #1 - Dad peacefully snuggled...



Contender #2 - Guillermo snuggled and tickled...



Contender #3 - Court takes the victory with a snuggle and a perfect smile!


Dean hearts his Aunt Coco!

Presenting Pork Grandmaster G...


Stirring a big pot of collard greens and... pork!

Seriously, Guillermo is the king of pork. He made a fresh ham, made from scratch. I had never seen one of those, but it was stuffed and rubbed with all kinds of fresh garlic and herbs and baked for 5 hours and it was AMAZING!

We had a full table of Christmas joy, with mac n' cheese, Pioneer Woman short ribs (out of this world delicious!), ceasar salad with fresh dressing (with real anchovies!), collard greens, green bean casserole and lots of other Puerto Rican pork goodies!





And the whole family got together for the Christmas feast!



We even continued the tradition of the "kids table." Remember sitting at the kids table? Man, it seems like I was there just yesterday and now it's my kids at the kids table! Crazy.



How do you end a perfect family Christmas day? With four little elves in a bubble bath!




When you are 3, you don't need to suck it in. Oh, I want to be 3 again!



Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!