FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME: December 2011

Christmas 2011 (Part Two)

When we arrived home Christmas Eve we had to get Libby to bed so Santa could begin to assemble gifts. The one that needed the most attention was this Dora kitchen. Even though several of the 23 screws were missing, Drew was able to work his magic.

And it was all worth it when Libby spotted it Christmas morning!

She whipped up food, took call-in orders and had a ball.

Before she opened the rest of her presents, we paused for Christmas breakfast with all of her grandparents.

I tried a new crock pot breakfast casserole. It had eggs, hash browns, sausage, peppers and onions...so good! I will post the recipe in a later post.

After we all ate, Libby got to open presents from us and a few special packages. Like this one from her Uncle Drew in Colorado.

At this point my living room looked like a bomb exploded! We hugged the grandparents good bye, took showers and got ready for our next stop - Christmas lunch with my husband's side of the family.

There was a house full of aunts, uncles and cousins.

This was our attempt to get a picture of all the great grandchildren. Yes, it was as chaotic as it looks!

After lunch we got to open more presents. And Libby's favorite gift this round was a just-her-size guitar. She has hardly put it down since opening it.

We wrapped up a fun afternoon with the Parkmans and had one more stop, Drew's parent's house. Libby opened EVEN MORE PRESENTS. (Oh my goodness!) She got the most precious Bitty Baby and stroller along with clothes and toys.

Then the glorious hour finally arrived...nap time!

We had one last family celebration. Thankfully, we had a little break and got together Monday, the day after Christmas. We had another big meal and spent time with some of Drew's cousins that we don't see as much as we'd like.

We all enjoyed catching up with the Lett family. And believe it or not, she got to open more presents. Thankfully that was the last of the loot. It's a good thing because we have no more room inside the walls of our house. I predict a some sorting through toys boxes while Libby naps in the near future. ;)

It was a wonderful few days! We couldn't have asked for more. Libby was spoiled with wonderful gifts, as were we. And each holiday we get to spend with our entire family is a blessing.

Christmas 2011 was a good one! I hope by posting these pictures and memories I won't soon forget how lucky we really are.

10:00 AM
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Christmas 2011

1:45 PM
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Christmas Catch Up

9:43 AM
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More Christmas Fun

1:40 PM
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It's Almost Christmas!

What a week it's been! My calendar has been full of Christmas-related activities. Thankfully it all flowed smoothly and has been fun, not stressful.

First up was Ugly Christmas Sweater Bunco. This year's outfits didn't disappoint! The girls brought their finest, ehmm, tackiest, Christmas wear. We enjoyed dinner and our annual ornament swap.

A few days later Libby got to wear pajamas to school to watch Polar Express. On the way to school that morning of she was telling me she was going to watch a movie and eat treats - she was so excited!

After dropping her off at school, I met a group of my students to work at a local mission-based organization. The scholarship students worked a shift with Valley Rescue Mission at their Christmas toy shop. We did all types of jobs from stocking the shelves to assisting men and women (some in financial need, some in rehab programs) shop for their children.

I organize some type of service project each semester for the students so they can see that there's more to life than college classes, boyfriends/girlfriends and texting. But I must admit, working with this organization really got to me this time. The guidelines for shopping were strict but the employees showed each client love and support. I really needed to see that and I left with a heart full of gratitude for what I have and for organizations like Valley Rescue that reach out to people in need.

It was a great day and I work with a great group of students!

Saturday morning I got to visit with my friend, Mandy, who lives in Orange Beach, AL. She was in town visiting family and made time to get together with me and our friend, Heather. All the kids played while we caught up.

These are the best pictures I could get. I'm sure this won't impress Mandy since she is a photographer by trade! Oh well, they're cute and we tried.

Mandy's babies, Lydia and Eli.

Bence, Brandt and Libby. Bence decided a shirt was not necessary for the group photo.

It was great to catch up with my long-time friends and trade parenting stories. It's hard to believe we aren't teenagers anymore, but raising kids of our own.

It was a fun week and I'm looking forward to squeezing in a few more Christmas activities before the holiday wraps up. Be back soon with more Christmas pictures.