happy holidays

this christmas was both busy and relaxed for us this year. christmas eve we slept in, wrapped presents, hung out at both of our parents' houses, and got thomas to bed about 11 pm (responsible parenting at it's finest). christmas morning, we started out at home. we slept in and opened presents and slowly got dressed.

we could not pry that kazoo from his hands

jeff is a big outdoor enthusiast, so i got him a water purifier for backpacking.

this is jeff's present to me! i'm in love with it!!

our next stop was jeff's parents for christmas brunch and opening gifts from them. it was relaxed and the food was delicious!

i love how little kids have no personal boundaries.

 afterward, we went to my parents house (my camera battery died, so i don't have any pictures from there. i guess i was too busy with preparations for christmas to charge it... yes, that's why...) chaos reigned at the collins home. i have 5 brothers and 5 sisters and most of them are married with children. after opening presents, playing with cousins, and consuming even more food, we went back to the lakes for prime rib and dessert. we were exhausted by the time we got home. i'm still recuperating! merry christmas and happy holidays!

i decided to post these all in black and white. i think that christmas deserves that nostalgic feel that is captured in b&w. i don't do b&w images often. i prefer to save it for images that earn it.