Christmas 2010

"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: 

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Unknown

Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday, but Christmas is a very close second, and this years' marathon 4-family Christmas celebration tried its best to be a worthy rival. Oh my, did it come close! This year, our Christmas schedule looked something like this:

12/23: pack up and drive down to Mimmy and Pappy's house for dinner, a night together, 

and a mock Christmas morning on Christmas Eve

12/24: load up and migrate to Nanny and Granddaddy's for Christmas Eve services and

the family church, followed by a night together at Nanny's and a Christmas morning extravaganza

12/25: pack up and head home for a quiet night with the remaining family still in town at our place

and a Chinese-themed Christmas dinner

12/26: pack up and head down to Aunt Karen and Uncle Larry's for another Christmas dinner

and a fourth round of wonderful, blissful wrapping paper destruction.

Whew! Though it kinda felt like we were on the ground running the whole Christmas weekend, it was a wonderful way to spend the holidays. It was also a beautiful thing to see the wonders of the season through a two-year-old's eyes... 

Audrey says hi to Leeloo after settling at Mimmy's house

Christmas Eve morning at Mimmy's

Opening presents with Uncle Nate

Surrounded by Christmas treasures

Christmas dress and Christmas wonders

Carroll Family shot after hanging stockings at Nanny's

Grammy and Gramps

Daddy and Mama... and Little Brother

Nanny and Granddaddy

Hung with care

Christmas morning wonders

Togetherness and giving

Christmas morning Skype with Aunt KK in Beaumont

Christmas aftermath

Back at home with a Christmas treasure

Chinese Christmas dinner

Hope your holidays were merry and bright, and also that the spirit, treasures, and love of the season carry you through winter and in to spring!