Christmas Day

Christmas = chaos at the Murray household. Megan and Nicholas open silly amounts of gifts, Grandma makes sure they don't stop for breaks, Uncle Brendan spends the night (one last time!), and Grandpa wonders when the monkey bread will be ready. Just as things start to slow down a bit, Tia, Uncle Drew and Riley arrive.
























Cool sweatshirt, Nicholas!










It says "Cheetah" on the back. :)











Megan got a cell phone. Finally!








Can you tell Nicholas got some new DS games?











After receiving his best present in a long time (a new mower),


Grandpa helped Nicholas set up his train.










Uncle Drew likes Nicholas' presents best. The Rocket was a hit! Whose toy is it anyway?












The dogs enjoy their new beds,

and Grace found hers. How does she know that's hers? I guess she read the tag.









Our new "tradition" (second year in a row :) is to fry doughnuts for dinner after everyone else has gone home and the hustle and bustle has died down. Doughnuts, hot chocolate and a movie make a perfect ending to a great day!

Christmas Eve

Our family tradition is to attend Mass on Christmas Eve and then to gather at my sister's house for a meal, and this year was no different. It was the first year for St. Albert the Great parish to celebrate in our new space, and the new Fontanini Nativity was displayed for the first time. The Nativity is set up at the beginning of Advent and the animals and shepherds and townsfolk accumulate as the weeks pass. Finally, on Christmas Eve, the Holy Family arrives. The kids really do like going up each week to see what has been added, even if they look a little reluctant in the picture!












My sister, Ann, as usual outdid herself with her beautiful table settings and delicious food (beef tenderloin, broccoli with cheese sauce, and twice baked potatoes, among other things!)





















Megan and Nicholas are always eager to get home to get to bed so as to hasten the arrival of morning. They always get to open one present on Christmas Eve (and it's always pajamas!).









Nicholas decided to make some last minute changes to his list for Santa despite my brother Brad's explanation of the "go/no-go" meeting (where packing lists are finalized) happening several days before Christmas. And despite the fact that, CLEARLY, Santa had already left the North Pole as Megan was tracking him on the internet!












We left out a plate of cookies and some eggnog for Santa, and Nicholas left his list next to the treats. (You never know what Santa might have lurking in the floorboards of his sled. If it's anything like our van, there could TOTALLY be a extra light saber or video game that he would be happy to drop off under Nicholas's tree!)










Not long after, we all settled down for a long winter's nap!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning started about 6:30 am.










































































Dash enjoyed his new toy.






We had gifts from Pennsylvania......












......and gifts from Texas.












Riley got a giant dog.......




.....and Nicholas helped her play with it!

















Riley enjoyed her gifts too.















She especially loved the rattle that Megan made her!







Uncle Brendan was there for the early morning festivities....












...along with Grandma and Grandpa.









Grandma always thinks we spend too much.












Even Tia and Drew got in on the act.












Riley just liked playing with everyone in the family.












And we even got visit (virtually) with our family in Houston.









After everyone went home, the Murrays enjoyed watching Nicholas's new movie, Wall-E.


Some of us enjoyed it more than others!!