Christmas 2011

Christmas seems like a blur already. Grace had Jeremy busy working rehearsals and programs during the week leading up to Christmas so he was exhausted on Saturday morning. I had also exhausted myself with all the baking and cleaning over the past week and a half. With school, basketball, a Christmas party, and Christmas all hanging over my head I crashed Friday night. We forced ourselves to get moving on Saturday, made some sausage and cheese balls and headed up to Banks County for our 2nd family Christmas gathering with the Daniel family.

Paw-Paw got to join us! He just recently moved to an assisted living facility. While we were in the basement eating, singing, talking, and opening presents, he was upstairs enjoying a nice yummy meal Momma made him! Daddy had to stop and get him some ice cream because Paw-Paw really wanted some and was sad when there wasn't any in the freezer. Almost all of the family was there this year. 7 out of 8 of the siblings were there and quite a few of the cousins were there.

There were only 3 people who had a part this year. Micah's poem was too cute.

Hannah read the Christmas story.

The rest of the time was filled with smiles,

with laughter,

with singing,

"Two turtle doves"- momma and daddy

"Six Geese a laying"--- "I did it!"-Micah

with chatting,

with opening presents,

and with smiling for lots more pictures pictures.

Jeremy left right after we ate because he had to get back for Grace's Christmas Eve services. They had 3 this year at 5, 9, and 11. I caught a ride back home with Miriam and Stacy. I didn't make it back in time to go to the 5:00 service, which is the one I was going to go to. I ended up getting ready and going over to Andy and Tami's for the Cash family gathering. Jeremy didn't get to attend because of the services. Afterwards, I went home and watched the 11:00 Christmas Eve service online since I had missed the 9:00 by then. While I watched I made a gingerbread hospital. If you are familiar with the tv show, House, you'll understand why I made a hospital. Well since his name is "House", Jeremy thought it would be funny to make a gingerbread person that looked like House's character. I thought it was an amazing idea. He's a doctor and trains people how to be doctors. Since I had quite a few hours alone, I decided to create the hospital.

Christmas day finally arrived! Jeremy ended up getting home about 2:30 am (Sunday) on Christmas morning. He spend the next 1 1/2-2 hours making the actual Gingerbread House so we didn't have to do it in the morning, although that's what I had planned on doing. I got up around 8 or 8:30 ready to make House, but it was already done. I let him sleep a little bit longer and knew he needed to get up because my family was coming for lunch.

I kept collecting presents from people all week so they didn't have to bring them over on Christmas day. Our tree looks pretty packed.

I feel as if this shows my ability to be totally normal and then break out into complete "randomness". Jeremy was having me pose as he was getting the settings right on the camera for us to get a picture. I don't know what I was doing, but I guess I took his "posing" to another level because this is my diva pose.

Okay, I snapped out of it and got right into my normal mood again.

Jeremy worked long and hard to wrap these! It took him about 2 hours. There was one box that he wrapped with the butcher paper and it took him about 30+ minutes! He couldn't get the tape to stay. That made all the more impressed that the presents I wrapped looked so good. The flaps wouldn't even stay down on his.

I got a new fit bit.

I also got some books and an ear warmer that can hook up to my ipod shuffle.

Yes, it's a new camera! Mine stopped focusing and every picture is blurry. In the other boxes was a new watch, wallet, clothes, headbands, running stuff...

Jeremy started off with lots of new clothes.

He also got some darts "that wouldn't fit his nerf gun" and a game.

Jeremy got the Steve Jobs book too.

YAY! A new nerf gun and the darts fit this one!

"I don't want to mess up your wrapping! You spent a lot of time wrapping my presents!"

The gingerbread house competition has gotten bigger this year. It's taking over the island.

Momma and Daddy made a house.

The finished product. Gingerbread House and the Princeton-Plains Teaching Hospital.

Miriam made a church.

Momma loves her grandkids.

Everyone loved all their presents.

Mario Rowan

Gavin had a fun first Christmas too!

Momma and Daddy gave me an Academy giftcard, picture book of the past year, camera, Angry Birds game, pepper spray, calendar, and some other stuff.

I also got some artsy stuff.

Daddy got the owl.

This is just part of the living room. Imagine what the rest looked like. :)

Emily and Kit with their proud owners.

August birthdays

The boys had a nerf gun war.

I love Rowan and his personality!

All 17 of us.

Now we were off to Cindy's house to visit with them.

brotherly love

Jeff's daughter Susan and her family came over. Then his son Mac and his girlfriend came over. Later Kristi came and we jumped in the car and headed over to Gary's for the McBryar Christmas.

Our Christmas day was eventful, but we were exhausted at the end of it all. I was ready to sleep for hours, but knew I couldn't because I was going shopping early the next morning with Jana.

Our shopping trip was quite productive. We got lots of good deals and we literally shopped until we dropped. We were gone almost 12 hours. We even stopped by her parent's house for some Christmas food on our way home. I think I'll sleep the rest of the week.