We had a full house last week Monday-Wednesday for a Cousins Pre-Christmas Slumber party. We had Brian's sister Katherine here with Baby Oliver, then his mom Claire came down from red Bluff with his other sister Maureen and her three kids - Ellie, Kate and Patrick and his brother Mark and Clara who live here came to join us for dinner's since Sarah was away on a work trip. We had people sleeping all over the house but it's so nice to finally have room for lots of guests! It was cousin chaos but lots of fun and memories.

Monday Aunt Kat and Francie made cookies in the morning then let all the kids decorate after dinner

Heff looks good holding a baby boy!

and letting all the little have a horsey ride (poor Patrick took a fall!)

Then Tuesday morning we were on a schedule of Christmas activities. First stop - SANTA at Stanford Mall.

First Kate and Ellie took their letters up - Santa took the time to open and read both of them (it helped there was hardly a line but what a nice Santa)

My girls are not so sure…

They agreed to sit next to Kate finally

Then it was Oliver's turn… his list was soooo long he took forever :)

Then Francie decided if Oliver could do it she could too- and Maisie still wasn't quite sure what was going on

Francie told Santa she wanted a reindeer and she told him her sister wanted a new binkie. I wonder how much damage a hunting trip with her dad would do her right now? ;)

Heff came over from work for a whole 12 minutes to witness his girls on Santa's lap- he's crazy busy at work right now but I love that he takes time out to be there for the little things like this-

Then the big girls tortured the foster dogs in the Macy's window for awhile.

I love the silly faces in these pictures- these cousins have so much fun together

then after some quiet time at home Heff took over Patrick and Maisie duty while we took the big girls to a Holiday Fairy Tea!

Oma and Maureen

Happy Francie

Kat and I with Oliver our only male tea patron

the Snow fairy visits our table

the girls loved her- she took them into the fireplace room after this for a magic show

OD... OD'ed on tea

then dinner at our house again- we were supposed to have a neighborhood "Hot Toddy Party" in the alley in front ouf our house but it got canceled with all the rain so Oma made pasta and we all just hung out.