Ham Fam Christmas Eve

After a great day of skiing, we had more festivities before us to celebrate Christmas Eve.

We were headed to the annual Pomponio Italian family Christmas Eve but before we headed out, we took advantage of being in our Christmas best for a family photo.

Take 1: Kellan was munching on fruit snacks which resulted in a frowny face.

Reset.

Take 2: Dawson Photo Bomb!!!

We had an awesome opportunity to Dawson sit for an hour on Christmas Eve and it was such a big treat for us.  We love Dawson!  We had teased that we were going to keep her and take her as a Christmas gift, but we weren't serious.

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Take 3:

Just as the camera snapped, Dawson laid down with the Ham Fam.

Maybe she would like to adopt US for Christmas!

We thought that this was all so fun and hilarious.

Reset.

Take 4: Nearly Perfect.

We thought that we nailed it, but the next day, I noticed that it was slightly blurry.

It's ok that it's slightly blurry.  The Ham Fam is VERY good at taking great family photos.  Really, all three boys are well trained.  They know that it makes Mommy Very happy to have a nice photo.  However, we all know that nothing about life is perfect, even if it may appear that way in photos.  A slightly blurry photo that was so much fun to take (thanks to Dawson :) and a reminder that we are perfect just the way we are, blur and all.

With the family photo complete, we headed off to the Pomponios's where we were greeted by Mark's famous shot ski.

First up, the Pomponio family.

(Keith and I had to take it easy this year as we had to drive home rather than walk next door.)

Oliver thought that the multiple shrimp cocktail tables were the best thing ever.  This kid ate his weight in shrimp on Christmas Eve.

Keith enjoyed the fresh oysters.

Carrie loved the shrimp along with Oliver.

(My all time favorite was the lobster ravioli served with dinner.  TO. DIE. FOR!)

Ater much merriment, it was time to dine.

The kids table was bellied up and ready.

Andrew, Oliver, Kellan and Gabby.

After dinner, the Ham Fam boys were fading fast, especially Oliver.

We fired up the iPad and searched for Santa to determine how much time we had before he arrived in Colorado.

(Photos courtesy of Kellan.)

Oliver had been saying how much he wanted to go home.  We thought that it was for Santa.  He eventually told me that he was "so tired".  This photo really tells that story.

The boys were enthralled with watching Santa for some time.

They eventually moved to the couch where Pete joined them.  They noticed that Santa moved from the Bahamas to Florida and then back to the Bahamas.  By the time we left, he was in Pittsburgh.

Very Much THANKS to the Pomponio family for inviting us into your home to enjoy your tradition.  We loved it!!!

Once at home, we skipped our annual tradition of reading "The Night Before Christmas" and rolled the boys straight into bed.

At some point after their were visions of Sugar Plums Dancing in Heads, Santa had paid a visit and ate the cookies that the boys picked out especially for him.

Santa had left a few gifts that he picked out special for the boys and he placed them under the tree with care.

The stockings had been stuffed and rehung by the chimney with care.

The Ham Fam was snug as a bug in their cozy beds, Santa had paid them a visit and listed them all as Nice.  Christmas morning was going to be magical, indeed.