The Maddox Family: Merry Christmas!

You know it's been awhile since you blogged (or did anything with your pictures on your computer) when you go to download your pictures and there is well over 500 pictures!

So this blog is an ode to our wonderful Christmas, that we are of course still celebrating

So stick with me as I make up something interesting to say as you scroll down a very random selection of pictures - please have mercy on my little tired soul, after a long car trip and realizing that I had so many pictures to go through I have not edited any of them.... one day I might :)

So this Christmas we had an amazing opportunity to go up to Gatlinburg with Alan's family, we had a blast! The kids loved seeing all their family members and their older cousins (they are well into their teens, and one is out)

It was a wonderful trip, one that I hope at least Stephen will remember

But this morning we got up and headed home :( after a long night of poor Jude the dude getting sick and mommy making sure he was ok to sleep before crawling in bed for a little bit, we got up and headed out before the sun rose (but not before Starbucks opened)

So after a short discussion Alan and I decided that Jude was most likely just reacting to some mucus and all that fun stuff and he must not have a stomach bug..... so I gave him breakfast......I'll stop going into detail at this point

So after an adventurous start to our trip we continued on our way

Poor little Jude spent the most of the day sleeping off whatever is bugging him and I spent the trip wishing I could get to some more clothes.......(there was a nasty smelly bathroom involved in another stop on our way that added to that desire)

But by the Grace of God we made it home with plenty of daylight left for Alan to clean out the van and the kids get the travel wiggles out!

Isn't that life, after a wonderful week in the mountains all I can come up with is the icky moments in the van...... let's see if I can end this post on a high note!

There we go, these next pictures will do the trick for sure! While we were there it SNOWED! (could someone please remind me next time my children see snow for the first time that if I sit them down for a scenic picture to make sure that someone is NOT standing behind them - b/c they will only sit still for one picture, even with a fast camera!)

Up at the top of the mountain, there was enough snow for Stephen to make a snow ball - he has wanted to do that for as long as he's known about them (ok, that's not very long) He even got a chance to chunk a few right off the mountain!