christmas photos, cc on a couple, and on the others HELP ME FIX??? pic heavy

[JSVDP]

Ok so this weekend I went to see my family. I was also asked to do family christmas pics.
Now keep in mind I do not have anything to use for backdrops, I dont have any money to get fabric so I used what my sister had at her house.  Some of the pictures came out pretty nice, others though I dont like.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39022564@N08/?saved=1
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39022564@N08/
When I was doing the family pic my step dad and my BIL had apparently made plans to go build my moms laundry room around the time mom and my sis wanted me to do the pics.  So I was made to HURRY HURRY cause their oldest son and BIL had to leave like RIGHT NOW.  So I wasn't able to fix the lighting, which was really crappy, or move them around so that no one was standing with their head above where I had the background.
So the first couple I am asking if anyone can help me fix them or do something so they dont look so bad. I dont like them, my sister wants me to do cut and paste and stuff like that, which I can do but its so much work( I can only afford free photo editing so I have to very carefully erase around stuff pixel by pixel). I am hoping that maybe someone here can help me out with some kind of fix that looks decent?
So here are the ones I want fixed(if possible) or if you can give me ideas on how to fix.

Ok the next ones I am putting on, I would like CC for.

My nephew refuses to look at ME lol

Ok I used CM uploader, which I know is a big no no, but I have no idea how to do it any other way. If you can(and will) here are the rest.
Also the rest are kind of for fun, if you want to comment go ahead but you dont have to.

Thanks for looking.

[MomPhotography]

 Here are a few that I did a fast fix on.. the family one will take time.. I have to leave for appt.. I will try later. I put before and after

 

[JSVDP]

ok so now if you can tell me how you made those lighter without making them look really really bad(thats what happened to me when I tried) it would be cool LOL.

[MomPhotography]

 I have adobe photoshop CS4. I have to use a few things.. Brightness/contrast, Exposure, Vibrance, and Color Balance.. That's honestly all I did.. it was just a fast fix