Momedy Sketch: Retrospective Series Part 1: Auntie Shona and Uncle Marc come to visit

On December 22nd Aaron and I left the older 4 kids at home and went to the airport with Ella to fetch Auntie Shona and Uncle Marc. It was so exciting.
We stood at the arrivals gate for what felt like an eternity while everyone but them got off the plane. We were so anxious! When we finally saw them we were ecstatic. My poor sister had not slept in literally about a week. She still looked sickeningly good though.

Ella turned 9 months old that day, what a fun thing it was to finally be able to introduce her to my big sister! We had a giddy drive home…well mostly my sister and I were giddy. Ella was too busy updating her social networking sites and the men were being manly.

Finally we got home (after many anxious phone calls from those keeping the home-fires burning)
I can’t believe I have no photos of this…(genuinely, I’m sure I do, I just can’t find them) but when we got home, the kids had all the lights dimmed, just the Christmas tree sparkling, and as Shona and Marc walked through the door, the boys played, “God rest you merry gentlemen”. (it was so impressive, they had downloaded the sheet music from the internet while we were gone, and practiced it for the first time but you would never guess from their performance) on the cello and the violin, while Gracie and Finny held up a huge handmade welcome sign. It was sooooo cute. WHERE are those pictures? Here’s the aftermath anyway.

Then we all cuddled and did our nightly December traditions. Not before we went out again for some undercover do-gooding and some pancake eating.(The kids were most excited about Uncle Marc assisting them with last few installments of the nightly 12 days of Christmas “drop and run”).

Did you see how stand-offish Shemly was? So weird. (This was her first meeting of Shona and Marc too, I think it is safe to say that they hit it off).

It felt so wonderful to Shona and Marc back for Christmas! I was brimming with happiness. When I woke up the next morning, I turned to Aaron and said, “my joy is full”. I felt like a little kid.
Love this series of photos:

The next morning, we had a visit from lovely “Grandma” and “Grandpa” Moon who brought us lots of delicious Christmas treats. We loved spending time with them! They stayed with Shona and Marc when they went to Australia earlier in the year so it was a joyful reunion all around.

Then the kids and Marc completed the age old tradition of making a gingerbread house together (the first one he made with them was in 2001! Gracie was in utero and Finny and Ella were not even twinkles.)

While Shona and I went shopping ‘til we were dropping. Literally. At midnight we decided to call it a night (mostly because the store was closed and they were rudely expecting us to actually leave) and discovered we (I ) had lost the car keys. In a department store. Every department of which we had thoroughly visited. It was epic. Every exhausted anxious to go home employee was searching with us. Unfortunately we have only one set of keys for the van. And the next day was Christmas Eve, and Saturday which did not bode well for getting a new key from the dealership. Ack. After much fervent prayer and right about the time Aaron showed up to pick us up, my sister was miraculously led to the keys nestled under a cozy pile of PJ’s. Whew. Hooray for prayer.
No photos of that either. What a slacker I am.
Next up. Christmas Chez Sayer! It. Was. Awesome.