We really did celebrate Christmas....

Geez, anyone ever heard of the word SLACKER?
Because that is my middle name these days.
Christmas came and went. Like it always does.

All of my decorations are put away....

except for the one random picture

that I noticed on my wall the other day....

that says, "You'd better not pout!"

Don't know how I missed it, but

I think I'm going to leave it up all year long.

It doesn't matter that it is red and green with stocking on it....

I like the message...

and my dear children could use any reminder they can get!

Christmas was magical and I loved it. I always do.

Who doesn't like all the F-words that Christmas time brings?

Family, friends, food, and fun!! ;)

I gained 50 pounds....or so it feels.

But I don't mind because I don't make stupid new year resolutions

that I break 2 weeks later. So I don't feel bad about a thing! :)

Not even the SIX cookies I had for dinner last night.....
and then just one more for dessert right before bed time....
and another 2 for breakfast this morning.
It's tough having good friends who know how to make cookies

and like to share them with me!

Anywho, back to Christmas....

We had our Haycock Family Party

on Christmas Eve.

We started a fun tradition of doing

a service project in memory of Cody.

We've been collecting our "Cody Coins"

since Thanksgiving and used all the money

to make sack lunches to had out to the

homeless. Cody always had a very soft

spot in his heart for the homeless and was

known for handing them stuff off his back.

The kids got their Christmas Jammies

Aunt Caddy got a doll....
just to torture Marley...or so it seems.
Marley still cries and says, "MY BABY" whenever she sees this picture....

Papa was in heaven with a little girl that would put makeup on him...
Now if she would just learn to do his hair or write on his legs with gel pens, he'd REALLY be in heaven!

And I got the best present of all.....


My little brother Carson bought me the original
Cabbage Patch Christmas record.
Nothing says my childhood like this record, and The Safety Kids!

I felt like I was 6 again.
So clearly I had to bust out in song with some of my favorites....

And then I had to go into the bathroom by myself and weep. No one HATED this record more than my brother Cody. I was so sad that he wasn't here to share it with me....or to listen to it play all day long on the record player. My heart almost burst I missed him so much in that moment.

We had lots of other fun, other parties, and lots of family time,
but unless Caddy was there to take pictures it wasn't well documented.....
because again, I've been a slacker!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
(2 weeks late)