a very merry california christmas.

On Christmas Eve, we arrived in San Diego for this year's "official" Christmas with the Schramm Clan. The house was decorated to the nines, the stockings were hung with care and Dad filled us in on the "stocking stuffer distribution center" that was new this year. 

Controlled chaos is the best was to describe holidays at my house. It's funny how me having just one more sibling than Danny can really multiply the feeling at our family gatherings. Both my brothers have significant others, one brother has two kids and then you add all the aunts and uncles who have forever been a party of our holiday traditions... it's fun - but hectic. I can't imagine what it will be like when the rest of us have kids.

Our few days in San Diego were filled with all kinds of random family fun. Danny, Dad and I taught Jacob how to play quarters (sans the cocktails) to knock down little ice skating Christmas figurines. This was quite entertaining. We saw How Do You Know - and wished we would have saved our money. We played Christmas carols on the piano. We competed in the Christmas trivia game "Fact or Crap" - Uncle Bob was put on a delay. We woke up to a covered family room floor on Christmas morning. All 13 of us enjoyed a long Christmas morning breakfast - eggs benedict and all the sides - before diving into this year's gifts... handmade scarfs and garden decor, family calendars, motorcycle racing gear, a watch & repair kit, photography stuff, cooking supplies, Amazon and Apple gift cards, recordable books for the grand kids and lots of toys for the little ones. It was super fun watching Jayden (3.5 years old) truly get into Christmas for the first time. She helped pass out gifts and would squeal with excitement while opening Santa's treasures. This is the same little girl who told me she loves Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Ke$ha - oh boy. And yes, she can sing-a-long.

We just arrived back home from our nomadic California adventure. We're looking forward to a leisurely Sunday of unpacking, lots of laundry and taking down Christmas decorations before we're back to reality. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's holiday with your family and friends.

{all the stockings were hung by the chimney with care}

{'twas the night before christmas}

{the ice skating village. a schramm family classic}

{ho ho ho! santa bill}

{a baby pool for jayden filled with everyone's stocking stuffers. 12 people worth}

{helping the big brother do some very last minute midnight gift wrapping in the family room}

{holy moly christmas morning}

{miss jayden and havie}

{jayden in the "stocking stuffer distribution center" from santa. see her "doggie slap bracelet"? so cute.}

{miss jayden and her crazy daddy}

{big christmas breakfast. eggs benedict for jakey and uncle danny}

{grandma's record-a-christmas-story book for miss jayden}

{new gear for our desert rats}

{my very two favorite men. one in my new handmade scarf from mom}

{trees of the pacific northwest. duh.}

{our christmas tween elf}

{awe, cute. fox racing twins}

{secret santas}

{secret santas}

{secret santa prom pose style}

{a very crowded family room floor}

{my new diana mini}

{this year's elf}

{it's funny what kids love. jayden was obsessed with her "time for tea" puppy t-shirt}

{jayden's new doggie purse.}

{new deck for our little skater boy}

{opening her new play kitchen from havie & uncle dingers}

{awe... cute. young love & an iTouch}

{uncle danny helping set-up jayden's new radio flyer scooter}

{sassy jayden showing off her personalized apron to go with her new play kitchen}

{nerd. watch repair tools}

{pretty package for heather with initial ornaments}

{matching personalized wine glasses}

{mexican train with aunt debbie & uncle rick}

{a game of cribbage with the boys & uncle bob}

{uncle bob checking out his new san francisco giants t-shirt}

{bobby & billy}

{our in-house watch repair man}