Christmas Weekend Part 2: Nicholl Edition

Yesterday we had Christmas with my siblings and my dad and their significant others.  Today we went to Mom and Ron's house to have Christmas with Mom's side and Ron's side.  Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Brent drove in from their respective homes, and Matt and Abby and David were there, and again the same crew from yesterday minus Dad and Deb.  Ron works with a guy who is a photographer, Nick, and hired him to stop by and take some pictures, so we got some great pictures of the various family groups in attendance.

Later some of us played Oxford Dilemma, a board game that mixes Scrabble with Monopoly with a spelling bee.  It's one of my favorite games even though I'd only played it twice and not in the past five or six years.  We learned the spelling of everything from obscure French philosophers to Chinese rivers. 

There was the normal extensive supply of shrimp cocktail, which we made short work of, and a double batch of Grandma's Christmas cookies, thanks to Guest Chef Brent Hall, which allowed me to indulge early and often.  I don't think I ate more than a dozen, but it's possible I did.

It was a fun day, as it always is, and we're thankful we have some great photographs from it.  (By the way, the picture above of everyone around the tree was one I took, so please don't blame Nick for my mediocre photography.)

Home From the Hospital

While we were in the hospital, Mom and Ron played the age-old role of Grandparents Who Watch the Grandkids While the Parents Are At the Hospital Giving Birth to a New Kid, for which we were very appreciative.  One of the perks of that job is getting the first look at the baby upon the return from the hospital.  We were cleared today to leave the hospital, and when we got home Mom and Ron were there to welcome us, and they got their first chance to hang out with their new grandbaby.  Later Joshua woke up from his nap and came downstairs and noticed Hannah across the room.  This was the look on his face as he saw her, trying to figure out who she was (and maybe what she was) and what was going on.

Farewell! Happy Birthday! Nice House!

Grandma Nicholl is getting ready to go visit one of her other sons in Las Vegas, and we wanted her to have a chance to see the kids before she left.  This coincided with the opportunity to have a small celebration for Joanna's birthday.  So the two events were combined, as Mom and Ron hosted a small get-together at their new house today.  It was our first chance to see the inside of their house (which is quite nice), and it was fun to get to hang out and enjoy the space it provides for large family events, which is one of the main reasons they decided to move.  Here many of us gather around the table, Clara helps her Aunt Josie blow out a candle, Mom cuddles with her sleepy granddaughter, and Ron and Joshua have a great time laughing with each other.

2 Grandmas

Today Peg came to meet my mom so they could eat lunch together at Jack Stack. While she was here, they spent some time hanging out with the kids.

Spending Time With Grandma

Today Peg came and hung out with the kids as I was not feeling too well. It was really nice to have her help and the kids always enjoy it when she is here.

Dinner with G&G at OG

My grandparents were in town for the Clara's finalization party, but they were able to stay in Lawrence for a few more days.  Mom and Julie were scheduled to come to our house today to watch Joshua and Clara while Meghan worked, but since they were in town, they came with her so they could spend more time with everyone.  I love seeing them but don't get very many chances to do so.  So I was very excited that they were able to come over, and even better that, stay for dinner.  We all went out to Olive Garden and had a great dinner.

Celebrating Finalization

Clara's adoption finalization is tomorrow.  Mom and Ron wanted to be there for it, and since it's in Wichita, we decided it would be a good idea to go there the night before so we'd be ready for the morning court hearing.  We all arrived here earlier this evening in time to go out to dinner together.  There is an Abuelo's in Kansas City, but it's not very close to us.  We've been there a couple times and really like it.  But there was one right next to our hotel tonight, so we had a nice family dinner there in celebration of Clara's finalization.