Wrapping Up Christmas

Can you believe Christmas is over?  I really can't wrap my mind around that fact.  I still have my decorations up, I'm just not ready to put them away just yet.  Normally, my decorations are up by my birthday, November 17th, but I was so busy with photography that it didn't happen.  I was happy to have the house decorated by December 10th but I don't feel like I've enjoyed them long enough yet.  Can anyone relate?

After our whirlwind trip to Tulsa and then our surprise trip to the Gaylord Texan, we returned home to 8 huge boxes on our front porch.  They were filled with the last photography orders of 2010.  My family helped me to quickly put it all together and then we delivered them to happy clients.  It was fun!  Thursday morning, I hit the grocery store with everyone else in town, delivered my last 2 photography orders, and then came home to begin fixing my things for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day dinner. 

My brother surprised all of us by coming to town Thursday afternoon.  It was so good to see him!   We enjoyed Tortilla soup at mom's house Thursday evening complete with Julio's chips and salsa and Pw's pico/guacamole dip.  Yum! 

We celebrated Christmas with my parents and brother on Christmas Eve.  Here is my brother, Tim:

The house smelled so good as mom put the finishing touches on our delicious meal:

My dad, Grandpa, and the girls looked through his "I Spy" books:

And then it was time to pray and eat.  Yum!

I thought Rachel looked so pretty at Granny's table that I had to stop and take a picture:

It was cold outside, I can see my friends who live up north rolling their eyes because it is really cold where they live, so my parents had built a lovely fire in the fireplace.  I found Hannah and Granny sitting by the fire.  I love this picture:

My three favorite girls!

I handed my camera to Mr. Incredible to take our picture and this is what we got.  I'm thankful to have it.  Three generations together around the Christmas tree...what a blessing!

I love this picture too:

In the middle of filling photography orders and going on photo shoots, I somehow found the time to put together a custom album of our St. John, USVI trip that we took this summer.  I was thrilled with how it turned out and couldn't wait to surprise my parents.  I can tell by the expressions on their faces that they like it too.  Fun memories together!

As always, ever since I was a little girl at my Granny's house (my mom's mom) we have placed this Nativity on top of a special cake and sung happy birthday to Jesus.  I think it is one of my favorite traditions.  My eyes are filling up with tears as I remember singing with my granny and mom and dad....and how precious to be able to sing with my parents, my brother, my husband, and my girls.  It is a mighty fine gift to see my girls singing happy birthday to Jesus with their Granny and Grandpa!

This beautiful cake was made by my brother's, "friend."  And just between you and me, we hope she is the one mom and I have been praying for over this past year.  But, don't tell, okay?  Ok.

I have to giggle when I see the next two pictures.  I am the one who does her Christmas shopping in July, decorates on November 17th,  begins playing Christmas songs the day after Thanksgiving, has presents wrapped and under the tree by December 1st, and bakes for my husband's fellow employees and makes pw's homemade cinnamon rolls for friends and neighbors.  Did I do all of that this year?  Nope!  It was a first for sure but that's okay! 

I wrapped the gifts on Christmas Eve afternoon.  Really, I did.  It was almost the year of "close your eyes and get a big surprise!"  I wasn't sure that the gifts were going to get wrapped but somehow, just in the nick of time, they did. 

Hannah did a little decorating of her own this year too:

The girls woke up at 8:15 Christmas morning.  It was a fun time together.  Hannah adores anything with owls, vintage, and hamburgers. I found this IPhone cover online and knew she would love it.  Her face proves that I was right!

I found these cute glasses and decided to put them in their stockings too:

We unwrapped presents and then made the mistake of watching Toy Story 3 together.  Mr. Incredible hadn't seen it so it seemed fitting to watch it together.  Have you seen the movie?  Andy is getting ready to go off to college.  Oiy!  Mr. Incredible and I both sobbed after the movie.  We are not ready for Rachel to go off to college! Stinkin' movie!!!!

We got ourselves together and got ready to go to Nonnie and Poppie's house.  My youngest nephew, our youngest "lieb" got a new game from Santa and he was mesmerized by it

Nonnie set a beautiful table as always:

While the food finished cooking, we opened presents. 

We gave the boys remote controlled cars and they took them outside to try them out.  That's our oldest nephew standing in front of my rattlesnake-killing-suburban.  Speaking of rattlesnakes, yuck!, have you seen True Grit?  We saw it this weekend and it was great but there is a scene with a few rattlesnakes in it, but I didn't see it because my man knows me well and he covered my eyes while they were on the screen. 

And our youngest nephew playing with his new car:

This is my brother-in-law, "Uncle G," who likes gun A LOT, a lot!  How fitting that Nonnie and Poppie gave he and Mr. Incredible these lighters:

Like father, like son!

It was a blessed Christmas with fun memories to treasure.  How was your Christmas?