Christmas in PA

This year we spent Christmas with Matt's parents in Pennsylvania. It was a first for me, and I gotta be honest, I was a little nervous. I'm plenty comfortable with Matt's family, so it wasn't that, it's just that... well, I've never spent Christmas with someone else's family - ever. When it comes right down to it, they are my family too, but in all my years, I've always spent it with my parents, usually at least one of my sisters, and my grandmother. There were two exceptions - one when I was 7 months pregnant with Norah, and the following year, her first Christmas - and those we spent alone at our house! As I told my mother in law, it's not that I didn't want to go, it was just new to me!

In any case, we had a great time and I really think Norah enjoyed being around so many cousins! I don't think our side will ever catch up - there are now 12 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren on Matt's side, and only my two plus Hartleigh on mine! Here's a picture of Oma and Opa (Matt's parents) with a good number of the kids on Christmas eve - before the craziness and present opening began!
This is a shot of my two sweet babies before we headed out for Xmas eve mass

... and a picture-perfect shot of them with their Opa, in front of the fireplace and Christmas tree

Roddie, my little man, all spiffed up for the festivities. I never did get a good one of Norah in her dress... lack of nap leading to a bit of a fashion emergency and we ran out of time...:) ... And one of MY family before we dash off to mass

I love this last one, it's most of the girl cousins in attendance (well, at least those under 18!) As usually happens with these get-togethers, all the kids get into their jammies before it's time to leave. But on Christmas eve, a combination of excitement, cookies and a cool guitar that Adam received had everyone bouncing off the walls a little more than usual. Here's the girls - Ella, Abbie, Olivia, Katelyn and Norah - dancing away