Swenson Christmas 2011

Just a warning...Christmas = lots of pictures! 

We started out the holiday week in Milwaukee and then finished it in North Carolina, with plenty of travel adventures throughout. 

First, the Milwaukee Christmas with the Swensons:

Santa took time out from a very busy Christmas Eve schedule to visit the house. He and Thomas talked about if he'd been a good boy. TJ was much more comfortable with Santa this year than last!

The boys and Santa

Santa asked Grandma if she had been good as well!

 We spent Christmas Eve with my grandma and my aunt and uncle.

 Our best family picture from the holiday. Maybe next year we'll strive to all be looking at the camera!

 The boys in their Christmas outfits. When I saw Josiah's outfit in the store, especially the hat, I couldn't resist! He has the perfect shaped head for it! :)

Ed continued his dad's tradition of reading "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" to the boys. TJ stayed up late, and we took them to the 11 pm Christmas Eve service at church. Thomas was wired. He may have had a few cookies all day long. Let's just say it's good that we knew the people sitting behind us! At one point, Thomas was "hugging" me and Jenn around our necks, essentially holding us in headlocks. It looked loving, sort of, but we were stuck. And the lit candles we all held at the end while singing Silent Night? He liked those a little too much. He did finally crash on the way home.

Okay, so the hat may be a little over the top, but it's so darn cute!!!

This picture was taken after the fact because we didn't get around to taking one of all the "kids" Christmas morning. thomas had just woken up from a nap and it was right before Jenn and Pat were leaving, so we're not all at our best!

The boys opening their stockings (made by mom) Christmas morning. Thomas was a bit overwhelmed by everything and after doing a few laps of the family room, headed back to his bed for a bit. After he collected himself, he came out, opened his stocking, and promptly took Brewster (a train from the Chuggington tv show) downstairs to the train track. We didn't see him again for another 45 minutes. Quietest Christmas morning with a 2.5 year old ever!

Wearing the stockings!

Jojo got this great gift from Jenn and Pat--it's basically a mobile exersaucer that folds up like a camp chair. Considering we don't currently have our exersaucer, nor room for it in our house, it will get alot of use--portable + collapsable is good! 

Ed and Pat continued their tradition of making presents. They both outdid themselves this year. Pat made Ed a wooden 12-pack carrying case, decorated with Bell's Beer labels. Ed made Pat (using my sewing machine!) a Wisconsin-themed brova brova (man skirt to the general public).

TJ in his Packer helmet!

Doesn't the table look pretty?

Christmas afternoon the Rhyans came over to (watch the Packer game, of course!) and celebrate the holiday. My aunt Karen started a tradition years ago of buying poppers for each plate. You can see them in the table setting picture in the next picture up. The poppers have tissue paper crowns and, this year, magic tricks in them. We had fun trying to perform the magic tricks, as well as follow the directions that clearly had been changed into English by some inept translation program, as they made no sense!

Josiah riding on Buppa's shoulders

Mom and I took the boys to a Christmas display at a downtown Milwaukee bank.

Thomas kept returning to visit "Bambi."

Hello, Mr. Giraffe!

This scene was full of moving animals and parts--a very busy Santa's village!

Did you get to the end? That was a lot of pictures! Ruble Christmas to come, hopefully this weekend.
Blogger was giving me problems tonight--I couldn't rearrange the pictures as easily as I wanted, and some of the text came through as underlined. I have no idea why, but very frustrating!