Perspective

I've been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I was to have had so many years of continuity with all of the holiday traditions that my family celebrated. I spent 33 Christmas Eves at my grandmother's house with my cousins. 33 years is a long time. It grew to include our spouses and children, her house was literally filled with laughter. There was the hole we felt after my grandfather died and then again after my dad was gone and then when my grandmother's brother passed away. Always moments of remembering in our way individual way, but still merrymaking to be had. My father would put the money envelopes we were given in his shirt pocket. I loved that. The windows would fog up with all of us crammed in there, so we'd have to open the front door. My brother would have us listen to his fire scanner as the local "authorities" tracked Santa. Hess trucks would be coveted. Pizza was consumed. Yes, pizza. This all encompassing tradition has now ended, new ones will begin, the Hess trucks remain. How lucky though that I had an obnoxious amount of years of expectations that were quite literally always met.

Christmas 2011 in pictures

I'm home with the kids all week and thus have more time for pictures than words. Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve at Grandma's. We can hardly contain our excitement.

Luke got a guitar from Auntie Kristie and Uncle Tom. He has waited so long for one that his reaction was priceless. "It's a gui..." he could barely say the word he was so happy.

Taking a break to gather our thoughts.

Christmas morning and Luke does in fact have tape in his stocking. Thank you Santa.

What is in the big box??

A dollhouse for Ellie.

The Nerfman cometh.

Dart tag!

John gets some alone time with the guitar.

We need a bigger house.

Luke got a camera from Grandma, so we took a little walk around Crandall Park and took some pictures as we tested the water with a stick.

Luke "Bono" Stevens.

He kills me.

Ellie and her dollhouse.

All We Want for Christmas

Luke has been the master-o-the-drool for quite some time. I never thought we'd go through twenty bibs a day but alas I find myself doing laundry just to replenish the bib stash.

Saturday we trudged through the land of trees at Styles in Fort Ann, searching for the perfect yet no-too-perfect tree. Luke braved the cold, his cheeks all pink and on the verge of wind-burn. He was a true trooper though, no complaints from him, save for maybe that look of "how could you forget the camera batteries Mom!? I am looking mighty cute in my snowsuit and the sky is the perfect shade of blue with the snow covered mountains so beautifully dotting the landscape." Arg! How COULD I forget the batteries, I don't know. He was adorable though, take my word.

So we get home with our friends, two sleeping kids, the tree, and some take-out. The kids took nice long naps and the adults relaxed by the fire, played some ping-pong and watched a movie. Ahh, relaxation. Luke finally awoke, I sat with him in the recliner, he was studying my face, "kissing" my cheeks and laughing. I stuck my finger in his mouth as usual to check for any signs of teeth and low and behold there were two. Sharp as nails and white as snow! They're just barely poking through, see them in the picture, how can you miss them!?

He's really growing up. Really. Thankfully he hasn't seemed too pained by the teething, so far. I'll keep the bibs on one hand and a tissue in the other:)