Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is spent in the old farm house where Grandpa and Grandma Greene used to live. Since their passing, the house is kept up by the Greene family and is rented out during racing season as a place for Nascar fans to stay. 

We didn't dare leave Marcy up at Justin's parent's house since Justin's sister and her husband had brought their two dogs who were highly energetic and ready to run Marcy over every chance they got. This is me, Amy, in the foreground. It was terrifically cold outside so Marcy was wearing her owl sweater and the Martha Stewart brand overcoat that Justin bought for her at the local PetSmart. The man standing with his back to me with the long hair and baseball cap is Ronnie, Justin's dad. 

Justin had just begun to polish off a cherry cheesecake slice. There were several homemade desserts. 

This is the main kitchen area. There were easily fifty people, including children, occupying the two bedroom home that night. 

In the living room, Justin explains his job to his cousin Chase. 

Marcy turned out to be a huge hit with the little ones. The girl with the bow in her hair who is currently holding Marcy kept a hold of her until I finally had to tell her to put her down-- Marcy was happy at first but I stopped all of this the moment she looked panicked. 

Here Marcy and I are again, taking a break from the kids. 

Marcy eyes the shrimp tails left over in the little styrofoam bowl. Justin is trying to pull up some relevant information on his phone to share with his family. I am not entirely sure who the elderly man in the Beatles hat is... and I don't think Justin knew either. 

A blurry picture of Christmas mayhem. The woman in the black and red poinsettia sweater is Justin's aunt Helen. 

The children wait patiently in front of the Christmas tree that was piled with packages of toys.

They were reading the tags on the presents... and probably trying to figure out who had more. 

This little boy and little girl both had the idea that holding onto Marcy was the most fun thing in the world.

Justin (right), Brandi's husband Matt (left), and some random cousins; probably.

"It's my turn to play with the doggy!"

"No it's mine! Stoooooop!"

A third party joins in.

But the little girl always seems to win.

I finally had to tell them that the best way to play with Marcy was to let her run around on her own. They didn't get that concept so I finally took her away and placed her on the ground saying "Nobody gets to pick her up-- she likes to walk on her own and I want her to stay on the floor".

They were fine with that, for the most part.

These pictures were taken on the morning of Christmas Eve. Brandi is busy wrapping over thirty presents... nearly twenty of them will be going to the children seen in the earlier photos. 

Justin spaces out on the television.

Brandi and Matt's dogs Abner and Layla have come over for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They have just discovered Marcy.

Kim ascends the stairs with her dog Daisy in her pink diapered dukes. 

Abner has no idea what to do with Marcy.

Abner finds Marcy's pheasant. Marcy looks somewhat defeated despite her clever Devil disguise. 

Layla and Marcy exchange pleasantries.

Marcy: "I will eat you in your sleep."

Marcy and Abner. 

From left to right: Layla, Brandi's legs, Abner, and Marcy.

We had a pretty hectic Christmas Eve despite the fact that we did not have to wrap presents for any of the children nor did we really have to do much at all except stay out of the way and then pretend that we were having a ton of fun (when, in fact, we were just having a regular amount of fun) at the most stressful party of the year. Liquor was had by all. Xanax was had by me.