Harringtons

The Monday after Christmas we got together with our good friends the Harringtons. We used to 'do Christmas' with them every year and it was a crazy estrogen-filled-fun-fest (the dads were the only males in our families). But then all the daughters got married and 2002 was the last year we were together.

Here's four out of the five grandkids who are now in our group.

The eldest child, Caden, waited patiently while we tried to assemble the babies but he lost it before we got them all together.

Rock and Charlotte.
Unfortunately, I don't think it's a match made in heaven.

I promise he did nothing to her but act like his usual crazy self. Maybe it's the black eye.
Kim, the professional photographer, got much better pictures of this event... including a group shot that I'm dying to see. Hint, hint!

Black Eye

My sister Bethany did a great job capturing Rock's black eye. Fabulous, no?

Good thing it was at it's darkest when we took this picture of the whole clan. From Left to Right we are: Rachel (with Shin inside!), Rock, Fix, Juju, Sarah, Ron, Addy, Bethany, Susanna, Rocket, and Kelly.

Terra Cotta Warriors

The day after Christmas we went and saw the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at the National Geographic Museum.

I'm not sure if tickets are still available, but if they are, you should go! It was fascinating.

CHRISTMAS 2009

This year all my sisters and their families were in town for Christmas. The tradition of dancing to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was carried on by all Brockmans and their children. The Sons-in-law refrained from dancing and took pictures.

Someone got really into it. This is his serious dancing face.

Addy also danced then sat in this chair while we opened our stockings.

Rock also rocked.

The whole clan at breakfast.
Rock's favorite gift was the Fire Chief's outfit he got from Ron and Sarah.
He also loved the Curious George shirt they got him. "Can I wear it now?" he said as he unwrapped it.
Oh and we were right, Rock's Christmas Eve Injury turned into Rock's Christmas Day Black Eye.

Addy opened exactly one present then went down for a nap. We were just finishing when she got back up and opened her loot.

A little while later we gave the kids a bath (and took lots of photosfor future embarrassment)...

And put them down for naps while we ate a delicious Christmas Dinner with Judy and Marty.
Susanna brought some fabulous Christmas crackers from London - complete with fabulous paper hats.

Although we didn't get all of the British humor (Jelly babies!), we each read our jokes out loud and laughed anyway.

After dinner, we set up Marty's projector to watch the Star Trek movie that just came out on DVD. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

All in all, it was a delightful Christmas day!

Christmas Eve

After a wonderful Christmas Eve service at our church (which I missed most of because I was coughing up my lungs in the lobby), we drove to Juju and Rocket's house to spend the night.

By the time we got there it was already past 10 and the little ones were getting rather restless.This was the best picture I got of Rock and Clip in their argyle sweaters. Yep, that's as good as it got.

This was the worst. But it shows the band-aid by Rock's eye. He tripped and fell into an upholstered bench right as we were leaving for the Christmas Eve service. It bled a bit, but we thought the real damage would be a black eye the next day. Stay tuned to see if we were right!

The Brockman ladies and honorary Brockman lady Annie.

Snowmen: The Lies Behind Two Eyes Made Out of Coal

WARNING! THIS POST MIGHT SCARE LITTLE CHILDREN!
When I say snowman... you probably picture someone kind like Frosty.

Or maybe you know a friendly snowman who likes to go boating. But in the aftermath of our most recent snow, Ron and Kelly (my brothers-in-law) uncovered the truth to my family. Not all snowman are good.
For example, Ron and Kelly discovered this snowman body in our back yard!
Police are still investigating this crime but if you ask me, it looks like foul-play. Snowmen who lead upright, law-abiding, corn-cob-pipe-loving lives don't end up stabbed to death on a picnic table.
Sometimes a snowman looks friendly. But don't let this guys smile deceive you. Earlier in the day Ron and Kelly caught this guy running over another snowman with a lawnmower.
This is all that remains of that other snowman!
This time Ron and Kelly (and photographer Fix) took matters into their own hands.
With just a papertowel and a little paint thinner ("It's a slow burn."- Kelly), they taught this guy a lesson.

Burn baby burn!

Moral of the story: Crime doesn't pay.

Sick

You know you aren't feeling well when you have to lay down while playing with your truck.

Rock and I were both sick during the Christmas season although he got over it pretty quickly.

Noel and Amy

Here are Noel and Amy! They got married on December 22nd and we were lucky enough to get to an invitation! And a babysitter - thanks Juju and Zuni!

Okay so that's not really the bride and the groom but wasn't their cake beautiful?!

Here's the real couple enjoying the cake. They did a lot of other things at their wedding besides eat cake but I didn't take any good pictures of those things. So this is all you get! Congratulations Noel and Amy! May God bless you richly!

Fixmas 2009

The weekend before Christmas, we gathered at Papa John and Nana Kerry's house to celebrate FIXMAS 2009!

The snow started falling shortly after we got to their house Friday night and when we woke up on FIXMAS morning this cardinal was already playing around in several snowy inches of a winter wonderland.

Rock's grandparents (I won't say which ones 'cause I don't want to get anyone in trouble) gave him five jellybeans and a truffle to start his Fixmas morning so he was a little hyper. He wrote a song called "We Are All Together" that he sang over and over. The words are "We are all togeth-er! We are all together-er!"

After we opened our stockings and ate a DELICIOUS Fixmas brunch we opened our gifts. Rock was very meticulous in unwrapping his loot. No crazy tearing for this kid.

Aunt Susi showing off her new camera strap (that I made her).
You can tell she's showing it off and not really using her camera because the lens cap is on.

Uncle Jason's wrapping paper was made by me and Rock. Rock drew a lot of zigzags (his favorite thing to draw) while I drew everything he dictated for me to draw. This included a train, a Christmas tree, holly, ornaments, candy canes, a long squiggly candy cane (top right corner above)...

Gingerbread people, a fish or two, a shark that he immediately told me was not a shark 'cause I didn't draw it right, a blue ballerina, etc. etc.

One of the many books we gave Rock that I bought with PBK's Story Hour discounts.

Helping Auntie H.

One of Rock's favorite gifts was a "Struction Worker" outfit from Uncle Jason and Auntie H. Appreciate how poorly the hat fits on his head!

Fix and I asked for money for our London trip (more on that in a future post). While this could have been a boring one check gift, Aunt Susi and Uncle Jason came up with many creative ways to shower us with green. Appreciate the money necklace -- there were matching earrings for me to wear!

After everything was unwrapped the big kids put together Rock's new Playmobil farm.

Then everyone but Kerry and the big pregnant lady (me) went out to play in the freezing cold snow that was still falling. Rock didn't last long in the cold so he came back inside and we took a nap while everyone else walked to Starbucks.

Jason and Auntie H enjoying the cold.

That night Jason performed several surgeries and a few dental procedures (all patient requested) on Rock.

Then we put him to bed and the non-pregnant adults enjoyed a little cold champagne. Yep that glass is sitting on a pile of snow.

All in all, we had a wonderful day together. Thank you to Kerry and John and Susi for hosting a fabulous FIXMAS 2009... and for letting us stay over a second night when we were snowed in!

p.s. Yes, that tape measurer is showing 23.75 inches of snow! Crazy cool!