Our Little Turkey: January 2014

I've recapped our Christmas and New Years in pictures and now am adding a few thoughts too. A couple days before Christmas my siblings started arriving in Catonsville. Every last one of us were there by Christmas Eve. That's Anya, Hannah, Nina, Vera, Jonas, and Helki...Plus spouses and kids and babies in utero. That was a crowd of 20 something at my parents' house. But in very not Philipsen/Campbell style, everyone got along really well. Maybe we took our cues from the kids who became instant friends. Liam and Kaya and Nora and Heiko paired off to play. Liam loved being the big cousin and the group leader. And Nora. Oh Nora. She was in heaven just being included. Little Heiko showed an interest in playing with her and she began following him around and trying to do everything he was doing. After that he couldn't shake her. Heiko and Kaya are both amazing kids and I am so glad that the cousin love is happening even with the distance between our families. And then there's Theo. When they arrived at Christmas it was my first time meeting that sweet baby. Theo handled all that chaos so well. He slept, he ate, he cooed, he observed, and he snuggled. He rarely complained or cried. I can't wait to see how he develops. Also, Hannah and Vera are the ones with the babies in utero... So there are two little girls who will be joining this crazy clan soon.

Because of the crazy activity at my parents’ house it was nice to have our apartment to retreat back to. Vera and Chas stayed with us, so they retreated too. And they celebrated Christmas morning with us. This was the first Christmas where Santa visited Liam and Nora in their home. He wrote Liam a letter a few weeks before Christmas letting us know Liam had been a good boy and to leave a window unlocked for him (since we don't have a fireplace). On Christmas morning the kids woke up and came downstairs to find that Santa had left them a small kitchen and table with chairs. Nora also got a stuffed dog and a puzzle and Liam got a two-wheel scooter and a batman cave (his specific wish). Santa had eaten the cookies the kids had set out and had also left behind a ton of tinsel on our tree. It was truly magical.

After our peaceful Christmas morning, Vera and Chas headed off to Chas’s family and Jason, the kids, and I delved back into the madness. We started the day with waffles and sausage over at Granddad’s house and then headed over to the Nana and Grampa’s. In the evening we had a huge dinner with everyone over at Jeff and Angela’s. In all three places the kids got more gifts and we were surrounded by family. Every year the chaos is a lot to take in. But I would have it no other way.

I will also write about our trip to Austin – but another day.