Pyper family Christmas = Food,Infirmities, Lost Luggage, and most importantly FUN!

This year we went to Alabama for Christmas, as we do every year, but this year was extra special, because we were actually all able to be there on Christmas day. Usually we have to work around so many peoples schedules, Pyper family Christmas usually ends up being on some random day about a week or so after Christmas, when the kids excitment has died down a little. It was SO much fun! Its always fun with the Pyper family, but this year I think was extra special, because I had forgotten about how much fun Christmas is with little kids who are still SO excited about santa and leaving him cookies, and reindeer, and presents under the tree. It was a blast.

With Aunt Meg going on her mission in August of 2005 and getting home this past Feburary right when Aunt Laura had morning sickness and couldn't make it down for her homecoming, I figured it out that we hadn't all been together since Christmas of 2004. All in all, there are now 23 of us, and 10 of them little kids! (soon to be 24 in Feburary) So you can imagine the craziness and excitment and pure joy that was the Pyper Christmas. Anyway, Tucker had so much fun with his cousins, it was so much fun just to be with everyone and relax and hang out and do the things that little kids love doing at Christmas time. We did not want to leave! Now it wouldn't be a Pyper family Christmas without at least these Four things:

• Food, Check. Some good southern cooking by my mother AND father-in-law is ALWAYS a treat! :) I wish I had a picture of the dining room table all week, seriously plates and platters of everything that your heart desired, from homemade chocolates, to deliciously cooked lamb to homemade spinach artichoke dip.... And why am I not loosing any weight? Is 13 months too long to still blame Tucker?



• Infirmities, Check. Tucker came home with what my dad calls the Alabama plague. As what happens when you have 23 people under one roof, 10 of which are small children, the sickness spreads like wildfire. Bens mom was the only one who actually threw up while we were there, and luckily none of us got sick while there, so we thoroughly enjoyed our time, but let me tell you, since we have been home, all three of us have been throwing up and since all of my family was in town for Kaylas wedding, my cousins are all sick and throwing up, their kids are sick, my dad was throwing up in Alaska all week, my sister was throwing up in Mexico all week, on her honeymoon, my nephew... its gone around. Oh, and not only the sicknesses happen in Alabama, but the accidents and surgeries and ER visits always come up: my sister-in-law had to have knee surgery last week, my mother-in-law broke 4 bones in her hand and her two front teeth while playing catch with my other sister-in-law. There was also Pink-eye going around, which we luckily missed, and a case of Molluscum. I promise we are clean and hygenic people, but its a family curse, I tell you!



• Lost Luggage, Check. Another family curse, I'm afraid! It absolutley wouldn't be a normal visit if someones luggage wasn't lost. All of ours got lost on the way to Alabama. Somehow when we landed in Nashville, our luggage was still in Seattle. We were lucky and got all of ours the next day. My brother and sister-in-law flying in from the Virgin Islands had their luggage lost, they weren't so lucky and didn't get their luggage for about 4-5 days. Since we were the only two families who actually had to fly in, I'd say we didn't fare to well being 0 for 2. Since we have been married, I seriously don't think that there has been one time that we've flown down or one of the Pypers have flown up that luggage hasn't been lost. I'm amazed every time, I should just start to expect it, I suppose.

• And last but not least: FUN! It is always so much fun with the Pyper family and we always have a great time with every single one of them! We feel so blessed to have such great families who are not only our families, but our friends, whom we just love to death!

Here are some highlights of our time in Alabama:

Noah taking Tucker for a ride on the John Deere around Grandmas porch. Grandma and Grandpa have the perfect house for pure fun for little boys!

Aunt Meg and I getting in on the action, I wasn't as sucsessful as Meg at riding this tiny thing. My jeans didn't permit the range of motion that I needed! :)


Snuggling with Uncle Jeremy and Uncle David (Tucker, not me)

Listening to Grandpa read 'Twas the Night before Christmas' on Christmas eve.

Getting ready to go to bed on Christmas eve to wait for Santa

Getting a Family Picture taken (Finally)


Doing the nativity story with Grandma before opening presents

And last, but certainly not least-Opening the Presents! All the kids got brand new bikes, or trikes, or some sort of riding mobile for Grandmas house, and they had a blast with them all week. It was so nice to be somewhere where the weather permitted outside play.

Tucker opening his stocking, I'm not sure who's more excited, Ben or Tuck.

Anyway, I didn't mean to post such a mammoth post, but we just had such a great time and are so sad to be so far away from Bens family. But we certainly cherish every moment we do have with them!