Highlights and thoughts of Christmas 2010

We have had such a nice Christmas here in Tennessee. As Amy Grant sings, "Another tender Tennessee Christmas, is the only Christmas for me". I couldn't agree more. For the first time since 1993 (I was 19 yrs old), we had a white Christmas. It was truly magical. The snow began falling right as the sun went down on Christmas Eve. It hasn't really completely stopped until today, although we didn't get tons of accummulation. It made for the best memories and photos.

I have never been a fan of Christmas. It started when I was a little girl. My emotions always get the best of me...can't fully describe it. I am very nostalgic and love the Christmas music, lights, decor and such, but something about the holiday depresses me. Maybe because Christmas is always such a grand event and there is a let down afterwards. I'm not sure I can quite put my finger on it. I think I feel that it is a holiday geared for children and I am PERFECTLY OKIE DOKIE with that. I don't like sitting around watching adults unwrapping unnecessary things that just don't matter much. I sound like a grinch don't I? I don't mean to, really.

Our family has decided that next year, we are going to buy for the littles (Paige), but instead of buying for one another, we are going to put the money that we would spend on each other and adopt a family. I cannot think of any Christmas gift in the world that I would enjoy more.

Enough about all of that...it was a lovely holiday. I was glad to spend Jesus's birthday with the people that I have been blessed to call my family. We slept in (thank goodness for the teenage years in that regard).

Here are some thoughts about the holidays and Christmas:
1. Start pulling out decorations with the Halloween decorations. Have them assembled and ready to go the evening of Thanksgiving. We spent entirely too much time decorating this holiday and didn't have everything done until...until... oh, who am I kidding, we still don't have it all done! :)
2. Adopt a family and provide them a Christmas meal and tons of goodies to make their day happy!
3. Don't expect a lot from extended family. Everyone was on edge this year. Make a plan so that if someone gets testy, I have an escape plan :) hee hee just kidding...well, not really :/
4. Do NOT spend so much money on Paige. Rather, spend time doing activities that unite us. Not purchase things that will put her in her corner doing her own thing. More board games, more project based activities.
5. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE CHRISTMAS SHOES OR WATCH THE MOVIE!!!!!!!! Most people think it is utterly cheesy. I do not. I feel sorry for the little boy whose mama is going to meet jesus tonight. Deadgum, I want the woman to have some nice shoes for crying out loud.
6. Stop trying to hold in my emotions and cry when I miss my daddy. Like, the ugly cry, the kind where you have swollen eyes, snot flowing, fists pounding cry. Get it out. I missed my dad sooo much this year. I always do. It's heightened during the holidays.

Shew, I feel better having said all that. Here are some photos to prove that we really, really did enjoy ourselves. As a matter of fact, the fun isn't over yet...we still have a couple more celebrations to attend.

If you are still reading at this point, you are my new hero. If you stay for the pics...well, you are still my hero, just a SUPERhero!


Olivia Grace and Paige Frances Christmas Eve 2010


Kids being silly!


Our dear friends, the Craigheads




Brenda and Bob


Me, mom and Paige Christmas Eve 2010


White Christmas Eve


Paige and Moo on Christmas Day! I swear to you my dog is camera shy...it is a running joke in our household.


Blake and Paige...friends/like cousins since they were babies, because...


...their moms/sisters have been friends for 33 years. Suzanne and I. We know EVERYTHING there is to know about each other. She was my across the street neighbor starting when we were three. She is like a sister to me.


Suzanne and my friendship started because our moms met at the mailbox and started chatting. They quickly learned that they had kids who were the same age and husbands who were golf obsessed. My dad and Suzanne's dad were best friends since I was three, too. They are truly our family.


Now our brood has grown by husbands/kids etc... Sadly, we are missing my brother, Greggie Poo, as we used to call him. We also miss my dad terribly. Suzanne and her sister, Stacy, pictured with her boys, thought of my dad as their own.


My mom, Eileen (Carol's mom), and Carol (Suz and Stacy's mom). Three women whom I love and admire. I could cry just looking at these ladies and thinking about all we've shared.


Lastly, my little fam.

A funny about this last pic...as I was scrolling through the pics that I was going to upload our conversation went like this:

Me: Ughh, I am so overweight. I hate it!
Mom: One day you will be skinny.
Me: (giggling)...Thanks for the encouragement mom, but no I won't.
Paige: Sure you will...in Heaven!
Me and Mom: CRACKING UP!
Me: Thanks for the vote of confidence, Paige. You were supposed to say, sure sis, you'll be skinny one day! lol!

Now everything that we say, we end it with "In HEAVEN"...and on that note, hope you all had a Merry Christmas!