Reflections Of Christmas 2011, Pt. 1

Hey, friends!  Hope each of you had a WONDERFUL Christmas with those you love...I know I definitely did!  My only complaint is that it went by way too fast.  Abby starts back to school tomorrow and Brittany will head back to college in about a week.  I'm so grateful for the time we've enjoyed together and, as always, for the memories we made.  Thought I'd share some pictures we took.

Here's the girls on Christmas Eve before we left for church..  Attending the Christmas Eve service is always something we look forward to as a family.

Take a long look at what we got to come home to after church.  Yes, I made 3 loaves of mouth-watering sourdough bread to accompany our steak dinner.  It was worth every calorie!

"Santa" always brings the girls a little surprise on Christmas morning.  This year, they got marshmallow guns and I've never seen two girls have more fun in all my life!  I got pelted with them a time or two!

One thing Abby gave Chris is an annual tradition...chocolate covered cherries! Christmas just wouldn't be the same without them.
                           

Yeah, I know I look like Rudolph, but there's a good reason for it.  Abby gave me the sweetest gift and I burst into tears as she read the description to me.

It's a journal, scrapbook, and cards all wrapped up in one and it's for a mother and daughter to share.  It's a  means of recording  and remembering the relationship that Abby and I have with each other.  What a treasure that will be for her children to have, one day.  I love it and can't wait to start filling it out.  I'm bound to cry a river!

Brittany framed one of Chris's favorite pictures of the two of them together to give to him.

Brittany knows me very well, too.  Her gift made me bawl like a baby, also.  She gave me a Willow Tree figurine that hit straight to my heart.  I'll cherish it forever.

Don't you just love it?  It's a mother and daughter embracing.  Makes me think of how I feel every time I have to tell her 'goodbye' as she leaves for college. I want to hold on tight and never let go.

Aww...I can never get enough of 'sisterly love'.

Woo Pig Sooie!  Chris got me this Arkansas Razorback sweatshirt and it made me a very happy camper!

Bella just taking it all in.

The girls got "Just Dance" for the Wii and we have been having an absolute ball playing it!  Of course, after our first day of trying it out, l could barely walk the next day!

We always save the most exciting gift for the girls after everything else has been opened and we try to confuse them so they won't know what they're getting.  This year, we wrapped their final surprises in a cordless phone box.  You can tell how perplexed they are.

Well, they both got IPhones (thanks to it being time for an upgrade!).  I snapped the picture at the very moment when they realized what they got...it was priceless!  I got one, too, but still don't know how to work the thing very well.  Thankfully, Abby and Brittany have it all figured out, so they've been a lot of help.

Here's the girls giving "Just Dance" a whirl on the night of Christmas...what a riot!

Oh, there was no way I wasn't going to get in on the fun!  I danced myself crazy...and loved every single second of it!

Next time, I'll be sharing about our trip to South Carolina to see my in-laws the day after Christmas.  I'll do my best to visit you as time allows.  Abby's laptop that I'd been using has crashed, so I'm, once again, fighting for computer time. UGH!  Please bear with me!  Hugs to you all and Happy 2012!