Christmas in Boston

We spent the Holidays in Boston with my whole family this year (13 adults and 2 babies in one house? Oh joy). It was great, but also the most exhausting trip I have ever taken.

I took this picture on the plane to Boston, but then forgot to take any pictures until Christmas Eve.

Activities on days I took no pictures: going through the temple with Hillary, playing basketball with the whole family (I was really bad and it was frustrating), and various wedding preparations.

Christmas Eve
We went caroling- as per usual with my family- and came back for dinner and the acting out of the Nativity.

Here's Sadie with one of her favorite people- Papa. By the end of our time in Boston Sadie knew who most people were, but Papa is the only one she called by name.
The older kids attempted to include Sadie in the acting out of the Nativity but she just sort of wandered around and did what she wanted. Typical.

Christmas Day
Sadie woke up around 4:45 AM and Daniel got up with her. Sadie woke up most days in the wee hours of the morning and decided it was time to get up and play- usually around 2 AM. She knew we were sleeping right next to her so she'd talk and be loud until we finally gave in (some nights after 2 hours of jabbering) and got her up.

Here is Sadie waiting on the stairs- anxious to go see her presents.
Or really she had no idea what was happening, but since there were other people sitting on the stairs, she did too.

It was fun to watch Sadie open presents. Sadie definitely understood the idea that there were new toys in the wrapping paper and she should take it off. It just took her about 5 minutes to unwrap each present as she tore one strip at a time.

This is Sadie's favorite present (despite her face). Meredith made her a laminated book with pictures representing parts of our family for each letter of the alphabet. So "B" is pictures of Uncle Ben and Uncle Bryce. Sadie loves it. Hillary- she actually says your name every time she sees pictures of you now!

Daniel and I got some amazing presents, including, but not limited to a new Phil and Ted's stroller, a diaper bag, the first season of 30 for 30, subscription to ESPN the magazine, and many other things. Thanks family! My family doesn't do a rotation yet, so we all get lots of presents.

To avoid picture overload in one post I will do separate entries about the other days in Boston and Hillary and Ben's wedding.

I am so glad we went because it was great to see my family and it was the last time my whole family will be together for Christmas. Daniel and I will not be traveling for Christmas anymore. This trip absolutely confirmed that decision as a good idea- the sleep deprivation with Sadie sleeping in the same room with us was terrible. It felt like having a newborn again- except I was 5 months pregnant and only getting 3 hour stretches of sleep. On a positive note, Sadie was very well-behaved during the day. The lack of sleep didn't seem to affect her too much.

Anyway....stay tuned for more pictures (mostly of Sadie and Will)!