I am WAY behind on posting for the Christmas holiday. I started off good by getting up our Christmas celebration with the Ham's (see below), but then it all went to poop. I will defend myself in saying, I have been pretty sick for the last couple of weeks, and, in fact, haven't even been to work in the last two weeks until the start of this week :) So, we had a total of seven Christmas holiday celebrations...1) Ham's, 2) the Ives' at Uncle Troy & Aunt Debbie's, 3) the Shelledy's at Grandpa Jack's, 4) Christmas at home, 5) the Shelledy's at Granny Janet's, 6) the Allee's at Elsie's, and 7) the Walker's at Lahvie & Paul's. I have pictures from them all except the Christmas Eve celebration at Grandpa Jack's...I have no idea how I got out of my house without the camera, but I did! Some of you may say "Whew, that is too much to cram into a couple of days", and use to, I would agree with you...but these days I just say to myself (and my husband, over and over and over and over again - ha!) that it just means that we have lots of people who love us and want to spend the holiday with us, because one of these days, we will be sitting at home wondering how life got away from us and how Braden grew up so fast and isn't at home anymore for Christmas morning. As you can see by the smiles on the below faces, we all got just what we wanted for Christmas and that is was a great holiday! I hope that the new year brings just as much joy to all these faces :)
THE IVES's
Dad, my stepbrother Dallas, and Josh
My stepmom Julie, my little sister Dana, and Dad
Josh, doing what he does best at family functions...he is always the guy that falls asleep where ever he sits after the meal - what a bum! Oh, and he looks like a tree because he had spent the entire day in the woods hunting before the Christmas Holiday celebration that evening!
CHRISTMAS MORNING AT HOME
There is actually a little story that goes along with opening presents this year in the Allee house. After we got back home from Grandpa Jack's on Christmas Eve we had lots left to do in order to be ready for Santa to arrive at the Allee house. So, as soon as we got home, Braden got ready for bed and the rest of us got to work...well, Josh and I wrapped lots of presents while mom and John supervised...mostly mom did this behind closed eyes due to her consumption of her Ambien. It was close to eleven o'clock at night on Christmas eve...and Santa had eaten his cookies, drank his milk, and dropped off Braden's presents! It was time for all of the adults to move upstairs and go to bed as well. However, we hit a snag, just as we were shutting the lights out....Braden woke up to go to the bathroom. I saw him sneak around the corner and peak down the banister...then he turns to me (because I am in the hallway by now watching him) and says "Santa has already drank his milk and ate his cookies!" Then his eyes widen even more when he notices that Santa has dropped off his gifts as well! He is torn, and so am I...we both know technically you are suppose to wake up on Christmas morning and see all the presents and have the excitement of opening presents, BUT here we were at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve...Braden had been asleep for the past 2 1/2 hours...and now here stands my 7 year old wide-eyed and super excited to open his presents. So, what do I do...do I make him wait - HECK NO! I go and wake up (by the way, I don't even think they had time to fall asleep) my Ambien drugged mom, papa John, and grabbed Josh from smoking his goodnight cigarette in the garage. We were opening presents!!!! It was a win/win situation really...we didn't have to wake up super early to open presents and then get ready to run out the door to the next Christmas celebration...we were able to do it leisurely, which was nice for all involved ;)
Tell me, honestly, does this look like I only have ONE child to buy Christmas for?!?!
Grandma and Papa John got him some rumble tumble remote control truck which was a big hit with Braden!
Santa brought Braden the much anticipated Wii...he has wanted one for a while now...so we finally broke down and let him ask Santa for one this year ;) It has definitely seen some play time, Aunt Terri watched Braden a few days ago here at the house, and that evening when we checked the history for the day it reveled that they had played for over 6 hours in ONE day!
The mess after all the Christmas had been opened, good thing I have a decent sized living room!
It is tough to see if you don't look closely...but on black Friday one of the gifts I was hell bent on getting for Braden was a remote control helicopter from JC Penney's...Josh is flying said helicopter and studying it closely! I have been informed that next year I need to buy TWO of those -ha!
THE SHELLEDY's (at Granny's)
That big mess ='s a very GOOD time with family! :)
Mom & John, Aunt Jenien & Uncle Steve, & Uncle Jackie & Lisa all went in and bought Granny a new stove/oven for Christmas...she was starting to tear up because she has the most fabulous kids in the whole world (well, I think that I am a pretty good kid, but her's are pretty good ones too -ha!) Nick was teasing her and telling her to "let the water works flow!"
Braden and his cousins Kaylea & Khloe getting ready for the presents to be passed out
THE ALLEE's
Dinner time...we made it simple, soup and sandwiches for dinner!
The Snuggie - what a popular gift this year for Christmas!!!
Bakugan's - he has like 50 of these little things now!
He just couldn't get enough of the ripping open presents - and he had a TON of gifts to open over the holiday season!
I just love this picture of Diana and I!
THE WALKER's
Grandaddy was a VERY good boy this year - ha! Just kidding, those aren't ALL his presents, but I am sure he was a good boy ;)
Braden and I posing for the camera together - one of my favorites!!!
Braden had been so disappointed that he hadn't gotten this mega bakugan set from Santa...after all, it was on his list! Poor guy had to wait until the VERY last Christmas celebration on the Sunday after Christmas before he finally got it!
I hope everyone had a great 2009, and I look forward to sharing with you all how 2010 unfolds for the Allee household!
Dad, my stepbrother Dallas, and Josh
My stepmom Julie, my little sister Dana, and Dad
Josh, doing what he does best at family functions...he is always the guy that falls asleep where ever he sits after the meal - what a bum! Oh, and he looks like a tree because he had spent the entire day in the woods hunting before the Christmas Holiday celebration that evening! 
Grandma and Papa John got him some rumble tumble remote control truck which was a big hit with Braden!
Santa brought Braden the much anticipated Wii...he has wanted one for a while now...so we finally broke down and let him ask Santa for one this year ;) It has definitely seen some play time, Aunt Terri watched Braden a few days ago here at the house, and that evening when we checked the history for the day it reveled that they had played for over 6 hours in ONE day!
The mess after all the Christmas had been opened, good thing I have a decent sized living room!
That big mess ='s a very GOOD time with family! :)
Mom & John, Aunt Jenien & Uncle Steve, & Uncle Jackie & Lisa all went in and bought Granny a new stove/oven for Christmas...she was starting to tear up because she has the most fabulous kids in the whole world (well, I think that I am a pretty good kid, but her's are pretty good ones too -ha!) Nick was teasing her and telling her to "let the water works flow!" 
Braden and his cousins Kaylea & Khloe getting ready for the presents to be passed out
Dinner time...we made it simple, soup and sandwiches for dinner!
The Snuggie - what a popular gift this year for Christmas!!!
Bakugan's - he has like 50 of these little things now!
He just couldn't get enough of the ripping open presents - and he had a TON of gifts to open over the holiday season!
Grandaddy was a VERY good boy this year - ha! Just kidding, those aren't ALL his presents, but I am sure he was a good boy ;)
Braden and I posing for the camera together - one of my favorites!!!
Braden had been so disappointed that he hadn't gotten this mega bakugan set from Santa...after all, it was on his list! Poor guy had to wait until the VERY last Christmas celebration on the Sunday after Christmas before he finally got it!
