We started off with having the Reitz traditional giant hoagie (or sub sandwich, depending where you live) for Christmas Eve-- this year we did it at lunch time. The executive decision was made to get 12 feet this year, since last year the 9 feet we had didn't give us many leftovers. :)
Trey and Collette were pretty excited about the "really big sandwich." Ha!
My parents came and ate hoagie with us, and LL's family was all there, minus his brother and family who live out of state.
Christmas with that many kids (7 kids ages 7 and under-- and that is with 4 missing!) is pure chaos. I tried my best to get pictures, but didn't get too many.
The girls (and Trey, sort of) led us in a round of "Jingle Bells" before we opened presents.
And... commence with present opening chaos!
Ride-on toys and matching outfits were big hits this year. I just love this one of four of the five girl cousins in the matching dresses (we are missing Karen.)
Autumn, Amelia, Tabby, and Collette.
We were able to go to our church's Christmas Eve Candlelight service, and Mom and Dad came with us as well. Here were the kids before we left for church. I had forgotten my real camera down at the farm, so I had to use my phone, but oh well. They are still cute! :)
Trey went to nursery and Collette stayed in "big church" with us. She did really well, up until communion (which she has never been present for before) and then was upset that she didn't get grape juice (which she LOVES) too. The service was over an hour and a half long, so really she did pretty well. Side note: Many of my friends who have kids close to Collette's age let them hold their own candles this year. Although Collette was dying to, she did not get her own candle. I seriously think she would have lit her hair (or someone else's) on fire. Ha! She did help Daddy hold his candle. :)
Christmas morning! I realize this looks like an obscene amount of gifts. I almost didn't post this picture because of it. Ha! However, several people sent us and the kids gifts and we just wrapped up the boxes as they came in the mail, so there are several big boxes with relatively small things in them. :) And several of the items we got for the kids were bigger things-- a toy vacuum, an art easel, etc.
LL was downstairs before the kids got up and captured their reactions as the saw the tree. :)
The kids got this Cozy Coupe from their cousins on Christmas eve and Trey wanted to sit in it all morning while he opened his presents. Ha! We did convince him to come out. :)
Opening presents! Please note the hands-on-the-hips and duck face Collette is making in the bottom left picture. Oh my mercy.
The kids picked out a rolling pin for Daddy as a present, and Collette was so excited to have him open it. He used it Christmas morning when we made our traditional Christmas breakfast- beignets!
The kids approved :)
After breakfast we did opened stockings. Maybe someday I will have my mantle!
Candy is a part of a healthy Christmas breakfast, right? :)
We had Christmas dinner with boy LL's family and mine, and then went to my parents house on Christmas evening. Somehow, I didn't get any pictures of any of that. On our way out the door, I realized we hadn't gotten a family Christmas picture at all, so we did a quick self-timer shot. Not our best effort, but good enough to say "Here we are, Christmas 2013!"
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