Christmas in Oregon

We were visiting Brian's family for Christmas and it was a very nice day (perhaps I will get around to posting those pictures later...) but the most fun day was Sunday when all of my mother-in-law's parents and siblings and their respective families descended on the house! She is the oldest of 5 so it's quite the large family!

Cory and I stayed home from church since he was still running a bit of a fever and I had my lovely cold. At about 10 minutes to noon someone knocked on the front door. I sent Cory down to open it knowing that the family would love to see him first.

Well, he opened the door and I was surprised when he didn't recognize who was there since he knows most of the family members. I went down after him and opened to find this family standing on the step. It took me a second to register that they weren't actually supposed to be there since this is the one family that lives in MONTANA rather than Oregon!


I wish I could have seen the look on my own face when I realized who they were! They drove all the way to visit us and their other family members in Oregon! It was super fun for me to be there as everyone else arrived and see their surprised faces as well!

In all there were 24 people in the house and (sadly) only 2 missing members of the family. One had to work and his daughter was too sick to come.

Great grandma and great grandpa totally dote on Cory! He loves to play with Grandpa's walker (which is what he's standing on in this picture).

Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Dan

Aunt Cris, John, Mark, Becca, and her boyfriend Cameron

Aunt Cindi, Cassandra, and Brooklyn

Our lovely family! With Grandpa standing on his toes to be as tall as the "boys".

And lest you think that family pictures are all nice and warm fuzzies... these are some of the outtake shots!

Tiel being "hung" between Brian and Joktan
(I love Joktan's shirt! On the back it has a variety of spellings of the university crossed out and at the bottom it just says something about A Great University)

Becca and Uncle Dan - theater people both of them!

Those crazy Montanans... Butch and Shiela, Joktan, Keenan, and Tiel

I'm so glad I married into this fun family since my family was very spread out and we very rarely had large family gatherings.