It has become a family tradition to get each other Hallmark ornaments for Christmas. Vince started it, and it has become really special for everyone! The kids enjoy trying to guess what ornament they are getting. Since this is the 4th year of doing this all together, I decided to take pictures of the kids with theirs so as not to forget what we have given them and thus purchase the same one again in future years because that is SO something I would do.
Oh, the joy. I have and shall continue to use this photo as blackmail for my son for some time to come. You should have seen the protest when I threatened to post it on his Facebook wall.
We finally got a family ornament...I have wanted one of these for forever!
This is my "I'm a loser" picture. I see my brother and his fam like once a year, and this is the only picture I took of them at Christmas. The only. Just look at the joyous festivus moment! My cousin Debbie and her family were also here, for the first time since our wedding, and I took less than one picture of them. Super. And my dad & stepmom...nein. But hey, lucky enough I did happen to photograph half of my mom's face and my stepdad's arm.
Oh, my village...have I ever mentioned how much I adore my village?!
We got a few new ones this year...Vince and I had gone shopping in LaCrosse a couple months before the holidays and stopped at a scrapbook store. It was off the beaten path and we had to call them (twice) to get directions because we kept passing it. Once we finally arrived we figured out why...the only signage on the building was for hot tubs. Of course, silly me, why wouldn't a scrapbook shop be hidden inside a hot tub store? Well, we weren't disappointed. Not only was it an awesome scrappin' shop, but next to the hoses, squeegies and tub scrubbers (not kidding) were a crap ton of Dept. 56 villages and accessories all 50% off! So we got a few new lovely pieces for the collection. The one below is my favorite of the year...Scrooge & Marley!! Complete with Bob Crachit and the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future!
Other new ones this year were the Spice & Mustard Shop...
...and the Village Candle shop. Oh, happy day!
And the stockings were hung on the entertainment center with care (that's how we roll around here)! Actually, we do have a fireplace downstairs and that's where the stockings are hung until Christmas eve. We put up two trees every year, one upstairs and one down, and then we alternate which one we open gifts by. This year it was upstairs, so we of course had to move the stockings, and the kids slept downstairs - another tradition that even as they keep getting bigger and bigger, they never outgrow!
Never a dull moment when Vince's siblings are here...oh wait, I take that back. There are many, many dull moments...
And, our lovely kids :)
I love these crazy kids!
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