The Life of Riley: Christmas in Pictures

To say I've fallen behind in my blogging would be a massive understatement! I'm going to try to play some catch up today! I have 5 posts already started here that I need to finish - I'm pretty sure I was waiting to post them until I had pictures added to them.

Which is what my focus will be today! The pictures are always what pushes me farther and farther behind b/c I have to be at home at my home pc to do pics...and that's if I've uploaded them from my camera...last year I think I went almost 8 months without uploading pics from my camera! Not good! I'd be so upset if I lost the camera and all those pics! We're also doing a lot more video now that he's so fast and all over the place! But videos take even more time because not only do you have to upload, I usually have to edit them down, then convert the format so I can put them on the blog, so I really get behind when it entails all that effort!

So back to the post at hand here!

Riley still doesn't get "Santa", but he definitely caught on to the "presents" part this year. And that Christmas is Baby Jesus' birthday.

Riley's first Christmas celebration was his party at school. I'm sure you could make a FORTUNE publishing hidden video from any 2-3 year old room! So at parties, I get a glimpse into his daily life without me!

Mommy & Riley at his party

All sitting in their seats anxiously waiting for lunch!

Mommy & Riley eating lunch

Cute Reindeer ornament they made

This is CLASSIC!! Look closely - that's the infamous Riley & Mat-two PUSHING each other!

Then immediately after - their "nothing to see here" guilty faces!

Madison - her hair is actually combed down for the party!

Riley "ironing"! Ms. Dina says he does it EVERY day!

He's gonna have to teach Daddy how to do that!

Getting ready for their book exchange presents!

His Book!

Avery & Riley - everyone at school wants to go ahead and arrange their marriage!

We celebrated with my Mom's side of the family the weekend before Christmas. This is the celebration Riley really enjoys b/c of all the cousins around his age that are there.This year was no different. Although he did enjoy some basketball with Daddy too!

Aunt Amy & Jayden

GiGi taking pics and my cousin Brandi (it's her house) & Ross her son

Riley opening presents with GiGi

Getting ready to load his dart gun

Opening a present

Riley taking his turn videoing with the flip vid


Dance Star Mikey!! And Jayden looking on.

Jayden & Riley watching Mikey break it down!

Jayden, Mommy & Daddy liked Mikey more than Riley did

Playing hoops with Daddy!

Taking a break from playing basketball to strike a pose!

One pooped little boy on the ride home! Barney videos couldn't even keep him awake!

Luckily for us, he didn't figure out all the gifts under the tree were for opening until the day before Christmas Eve. This year we did the same as last year so I guess it's turning into a tradition. We let Riley open his gifts from Kelly's family in Maryland on Christmas Eve. This year we videoed him opening his presents, and I created a video card that night to send to Kelly's family so they could watch the video Christmas day as if they were here seeing Riley open his presents.

Our creative card display for this year

Trouble!

Christmas Tree and Presents

Riley had to be in the pic when he saw the camera!

Riley riding his 'eledent' from Santa. His easel and Toy Story 4-wheeler

His other toy from Santa - a rocket ship tent!

Dad capturing video - we actually had 2 cameras going when he came downstairs to capture both angles

Vroom Vroom! He was scared of it at first.

Daddy's BIG Sponge Bob feet won't fit!

There was only one way out for Daddy!

Nice skirt!

Granny even got in on the Rocket Ship action!

More presents!

He's getting this down now!

Wearing one of Daddy's stocking stuffers! But he rips his own off whenever I try to get him to wear one!

Aunt Amy & Jayden

Jayden & Riley riding on Jayden's train from Santa!

What?! I don't even know how he got up there without us seeing him trying!

He had to share the Rocket Ship fun with "B" too!

Checking out every detail of the Rocket Ship before blast off!

I think he and "B" like the Rocket Ship!

Jayden in the drawer?! What?! Riley never did that! Ha!

They're WORN out after all this action!!

Having lunch with Granny.

He cannot get enough of the Rocket Ship!

Who knows what these two are scheming up!

As you can see! We had a very good Christmas! It's so nice to spend it at home now that we have Riley! No rushing around trying to see too many people in too little time! I'm not even sure what time we all got dressed that day! We had a delicious meal thanks to GiGi and Granny. Watched movies! It was definitely what Christmas is supposed to be about! Spending time with loved ones and enjoying seeing the kids have so much fun playing together!

We celebrated Christmas with my Dad & Sheila the following week. They came to watch Riley on New Year's Eve so Kelly and I could go out. We all went to dinner that night, then they got to hang out with Riley til we came home the following day.

I need to photoshop these pics together, but again - no time! ha! The first one is good except for the straw in Riley's face! Then my Dad's not looking in the 2nd one. We have to train him to just keep looking at the camera like we do!