A sliver coffee server from Mom and Dad..thanks..
Priceless!
Hunter and "Mantha"
5:00 on Christmas day at Nanny's...
Cousins Miki and Parker in the background
The boys "pupeteering" in Cranium...
Pat Pat and Uncle Dolph came to see us Christmas morning.
The Dawson Boys..
The Haywoods..
Gigi and Pops..
The Haywood offspring...
The Dawson family and the Bearenstein Bear family... (or as Bo says the "Sterenstein Bears")
Bouncy house, bouncy hair!
Play it , Naked Cowboy!
Look out Wynonna and Naomi!
Uncle Hunter got about 20 Bass Pro Gift cards, but this one was his favorite!
We gave Pops a "Leg Lamp" nightlight (like the leg lamp in "The Christmas Story" movie that we watch traditionally every year!
uncle Dave gave Bo the "Bolt" dog and Lane the "Mittens" cat!
Lighting of the Advent wreath "Christ" candle...
Aunt Flo!
Lia, Layton, and Lane!
Lane in a "princess dress" Ellie got her!
Jason really loved the farting santa too!
Chad's favorite gift, the "farting santa"!
Reagan!
Bo in the army suit!
these are the "Tarzan" underwear Ellie made for Bo!
Reagan loved Uncle Rob, she wanted he and uncle Chad over every one else...something about those uncles!
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES of 2008......
Our Christmas celebrations started with Uncle Jay, Jay, Chele, and Reagan. We had a jam packed week of events..the first night they were here we opened presents. Momma had told us about this crazy woman on Dr. Phil's show who had given her child their umbilical cord wrapped up for Christmas, and she asked us if she was that crazy over Christmas, and we assured her not yet, but getting there!! Seriously, she is so thoughtful when it comes to giving gifts, she never asks "what do you want?", she just thinks all year about what is something that would make Christmas memorable for us...usually we play some silly game that is about knowing family history, but this year, she made memory books for Jason, Michele, and myself...each with a special meaning. Mine was a father-daughter book filled with pictures of daddy and me, and he had written on each page of the book. She had mailed Michele's book to her grandmother, so that her family could write in hers. She also had old home movies made into DVD's for each of us...that was fun to watch! We argued about which one of us was the cutest! Thanks for always being so thoughtful, mom! To top off the night, Jason and Michele gave us gifts with ornaments in them announcing that they are expecting baby #2 in August! The next day we had family pictures made with Phil....he had his hands full...a 1, 3, and 4 year old and Uncle Chad! Then we had a fantastic dinner of filet and crablegs. The next day Rob and I went to watch Memphis lose miserably to Syracuse, then back to mom and dad's for the Newman dinner...it was good to see some of his family that we don't see often...and here we got more news that my cousin C.H. is engaged to a Staci and Lane and Bo had lots of fun playing with her daughter Sloan. On Sunday, we went to Church at Oak Grove and enjoyed the Ralph dinner at Aunt Pat's after that...it was the first time that all of my mom's living brother and sisters have been together in about 10 years, that was pretty neat. This concluded the first part of our Christmas family celebrations.....
Our Christmas celebrations started with Uncle Jay, Jay, Chele, and Reagan. We had a jam packed week of events..the first night they were here we opened presents. Momma had told us about this crazy woman on Dr. Phil's show who had given her child their umbilical cord wrapped up for Christmas, and she asked us if she was that crazy over Christmas, and we assured her not yet, but getting there!! Seriously, she is so thoughtful when it comes to giving gifts, she never asks "what do you want?", she just thinks all year about what is something that would make Christmas memorable for us...usually we play some silly game that is about knowing family history, but this year, she made memory books for Jason, Michele, and myself...each with a special meaning. Mine was a father-daughter book filled with pictures of daddy and me, and he had written on each page of the book. She had mailed Michele's book to her grandmother, so that her family could write in hers. She also had old home movies made into DVD's for each of us...that was fun to watch! We argued about which one of us was the cutest! Thanks for always being so thoughtful, mom! To top off the night, Jason and Michele gave us gifts with ornaments in them announcing that they are expecting baby #2 in August! The next day we had family pictures made with Phil....he had his hands full...a 1, 3, and 4 year old and Uncle Chad! Then we had a fantastic dinner of filet and crablegs. The next day Rob and I went to watch Memphis lose miserably to Syracuse, then back to mom and dad's for the Newman dinner...it was good to see some of his family that we don't see often...and here we got more news that my cousin C.H. is engaged to a Staci and Lane and Bo had lots of fun playing with her daughter Sloan. On Sunday, we went to Church at Oak Grove and enjoyed the Ralph dinner at Aunt Pat's after that...it was the first time that all of my mom's living brother and sisters have been together in about 10 years, that was pretty neat. This concluded the first part of our Christmas family celebrations.....
(Oh, we also to many rides with Uncle Chad on his lighted up golf cart this week!)
We enjoyed caroling with the church on a Monday night!
Then along came Christmas eve....we went to church and it was special for our family, because we lit the "Christ" candle on the advent wreath. I love this service as we end by singing "Silent Night" on the front steps of our beautiful church among hundreds of lighted candles...
Then on to Gigi's for "Memaw's dinner." We loved tracking Santa on the phone while we were there..lots of presents, food, and as always, "The Christmas Story" (On TBS). Also, Bo sang is solo version of "Happy Birthday Jesus!"
Then on to Gigi's for "Memaw's dinner." We loved tracking Santa on the phone while we were there..lots of presents, food, and as always, "The Christmas Story" (On TBS). Also, Bo sang is solo version of "Happy Birthday Jesus!"
Lane and Bo went to bed like little angels on Christmas Eve...I was worried that the excitement would be too much, but it was easy! "Santa" really had a lot of work to do this year...he had to move all of the living room furniture to fit the bouncy house and stage into the living room! Glad he has 2 good helper elves! Lane just kept saying "we didn't even ask for that bouncy house!!" Lane got just what she asked for "Toothbrush, toothpaste, houseshoes, and a fish" and Bo got his "Tarzan things" (thank goodness for ebay, ever tried to by Tarzan things?) We really had a great Christmas morning, we all jumped in the house and sang on that stage in the "band" for hours before going to Boo and Ellie's for a huge Christmas Breakfast. Then on to "Nanny's" for more food and presents....and a good game of Cranium!
Another memorable Christmas! It is so good to Celebrate Jesus's birth with people you love and share in giving gifts and having fun. Thank you God for this season of the year and for this season in my life....
