december: part 3 - second christmas! (with littles)

We finally picked the littles up on Thursday (AFTER 13 DAYS AWAY) and took them to Braum's... with Juju! Juju was meeting a friend for lunch the next day in Dallas, so she came on Thursday and spent a few nights on our side of town. TRULY THE BEST.

Ordering ice-cream!

Juju with her spiced-cake sundae... which was so tasty!

R being adorable, Emmy being intimate with her ice cream cone, lolz.

The next night, on Friday, we finally did second Christmas! There's a big video of it on my hard-drive, but the kids made out like bandits, as per usual. Spotify premium and iPhone 6s's for everyone! Sadie got a new laptop! Emily got earring and A-kon monies! R3 got all of his gaming delights! It was alot of fun. (And then I immediately took my ass to AT&T to activate the phones because I love/hate myself, haha).

Sadie spent the night at Juju's hotel room the remaining 2 nights she was here. There were a few trips to Starbucks and Sonic (for bacon cheeseburgers) thanks to Sadie's recommendation (and/or insistence, haha). 

Saturday was a full day, too! I went shopping at Northpark by myself (#blest) and Juju hung out with the kids at home (she trimmed all the girls' nails which is SUCH A LIFESAVER, THANKS MOM) while R started working on the most epic Second Christmas Dinner. Steak! Fish! Crab! The blue cheese/balsamic mashies! DECADENCE GALORE.

Enjoying the fruits of his labor. :)

Sadie in a food coma, because we're training her right, haha.

(That's a toothpickie in her mouth, haha)

Sadie had a school assignment to put on a full clarinet performance for all of us an delivered ALL THE WAY. I have a full video of it on my hard-drive, and it's such a treat. :)

For whatever reason, Emily was into making "anime villian poses" when the concert was complete so... here those are! ;)

After their second night in the hotel together. They are such good bed-fellers! :) 

Richard watching some football before heading to work to close out the period and looking so darn cute, just eee! :)

christmas eve & christmas day!!!

This year for Christmas, the littles were at their mom's so we had more of an adult-style Christmas. Mom came over on Christmas Eve and she and Meggie went to Darrah's after we did prezzies (Richard and I went to go see Del and Terri). We had a glorious Christmas feast once we got to D's (I LOVE STUFFING AND GREEN BEANS, OMGAH) and opened prezzies. Afterwards, mom came back to our house to spend the night (!) so she, R and I could wake up and do Christmas morning together. It was so chill and fun!

Like, seriously!? Side note: this fish did not make it to Christmas Even dinner at Darrah's because we both forgot to bring it, but! He made it Christmas evening anyway and it was the most delicious shit I've ever eaten in my life. We sat on the couch and ate it right off the baking sheet and I was a better person after we were through. ;) 

JUJU THE FORK.

Richard with his "bag of (candy and plushie) dicks" 

OK, so serious, Richard made the most epic Christmas breakfasts in the history of Christmas breakfasts. Chocolate chip waffles! Scramby eggs! Bacon! Potatoes O'Brien! Complete with morning alcohol! YUM YUM YUM. 

Playing with BB8!

Even though we're backlit as hell, I like this picture. :)

EATING THE ALSDKJFLKJ FISH.

Feelin' my new jammies!

I mean, obviously. :)

Not pictured: 

- Meghan walking around on her SUPER STILTS, courtesy of Juju.

- The best "mom gifts" ever: a bra bag to wash bras in the laundry, a bra carrier for traveling and a dashboard duster for my car, haha!

- The gorgeous snow-globe D got for me, and the "Chip" mug (Beauty and the Beast!) that Meggie got for me!!!

- Richard and I watching "Bad Santa" Christmas Eve and laughing so so much. :)

- Going to see Del and her being so adorable! "Why does Richard have all those tattoos on his arms?" "Because it makes it easier for him to not go missing, duh!" "Well that's a nice way of looking at it!"

- Pamplemosas, the name designated for my version of mimosas: grapefruit juice, champagne and sparkling strawberry-flavored water, haha.

- Having December 26th off and sleeping until noon, watching KUWTK in the living room before R came home. :)

december, part 2! (without littles)

A Sunday with CJ at his new downtown apartment!

On the rooftop of his new place... I wanted to get a selfie with Pegasas in the background... and you can barely see it, haha.

It's been so chilly which is JUST SO DARN LOVELY.

Existenial Puppy is very important to me (and requires video since a photo just doesn't capture the turtleneck well, haha)

R stumbled upon a mashed potato recipe with BLUE CHEESE AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND HOW DID I MARRY THIS GUY?! 

Me, a professional wine drinker. ;)

The picture I used for my gift, haha (I'm sure I posted this before but worth repeating, obvs.)

HILARY VISIT, EEEE! We picked her and Zach up from the airport and 10pm on Friday and they spent the night. It was... just the best. :)

Some of my recent make-up acquisitions thanks to my bonus gift card and HILARY BEING AN ANGEL. 

Making dinner for Hilary, Zach + Betsy and James who came to pick them up!

Very artistic, obvs.

Why document buttered bread? WHY NOT.

Our gingerbread hoose! I had a wild hair to pick one up on the way to the airport, considering the last time we made a gingerbread train was 10 freaking years ago, what the heck. :)

Lobster mac n' cheese, cauliflower and toasty breads!

I like this one because James looks annoyed at me taking all the pictures, haha.

The honestly reminds me of a Renaissance painting, hahaha.

Getting ready for Debbie and Aaron's party after the Collins Crew left... whew!

ASHLEE WAS HERE.

Not pictured:

- Shopping for my own Christmas gifts this year (jammie upgrades and gorgeous green coat, thanks to Hilary's suggestion, all from J. Crew) because some Christmases you just have to make things easy and exciting and that's ok. 

- Going to see The Shape of Water on a TUESDAY, WHAT IS (kid-free) LIFE

- Watching Broad City, Tiffany Haddish and Michelle Wolfe with Hilary while we lounge and make our gingie-bread hoose :)

- In a true 2017 role-refersal... all the boys (Zach, Richard and James) in the kitchen with R cooking while the ladies (me, Hilary and Betsy) watch "I Will Never Be Your Woman" in the living room, teehee

- Learning I need to plan ahead on what I would like to do when the kids aren't here for more than a weekend because changes like that are weird!

And after the cut is a million more pictures of Hilary and I because I never get to see her or be in pictures with her and we looked adorable in all of them so I WANNA KEEP THEM FOREVER. :)