Old Fashioned Christmas

, originally uploaded by Jenniferschwalm.

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my family this year. We had a great turkey day - all the good food I love and the cousins all got to play together in Nana's new basement playroom. My mom outdid herself setting the playroom up with the help of my sisters. It was all repainted with themes on different walls, Walker got a barn scene - there's a library, a firehouse and even a puppet theater! The kids had a blast riding their scooters and playing with all the fun toys.

Friday, Walker and Chris got to go to hunting camp with Pop. They were so excited. They called us from camp to tell us that Pop had gotten them their very own TV for their room. Chris's best comment about camp . . . "You don't even have to change your underwear if you don't want to!" In addition to going to camp, they also helped pick out Nana's Christmas trees! They each picked one. Luckily, Nana has a big enough house to accommodate both of them. They were both very proud to have the trees they picked in Nana's house.

Saturday after we got the trees wrestled into the house, we headed out to do some Christmas portraits. First up was Chris and Olivia - we headed to the barn to take some "old fashioned" portraits. Both of them were so cute posing for me. Olivia gave me some great expressions! I'm glad they had fun because once we started on the inside portraits, Olivia wasn't as happy. I think she was tired of having Aunt Jen take her picture.

In addition to doing Chris and Olivia, I did my Aunt Sharon and her girls and my Aunt Lisa's boys portraits. I hope they like them. It was very difficult to wrangle all those kids into position. None of them wanted to stay posed as we had put them. And then getting Baby Brett to laugh - now I know why photographers pay for assistants that are not family : )

My favorites of the bunch are posted. I love these ones I took of Chris and Olivia in the barn door. I tried it with my kids but Maggie kept frowning and saying she was cold. Didn't make the best pictures. Of course I edited everyone else's photos first, so I'll post pics of my family later.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to Christmas. I know we are!