Christmas 2010

 

This Christmas was a special one for us, not only were we spending it at our home in Maryland but we also had some guests staying with us.  My parents and Toby came down on Christmas Eve and stayed until the afternoon on Christmas day.  We were all looking forward to some low-key time together enjoying some good food and much needed R&R.  After eating a delicious dinner, we opened a few presents (the picture above taken by my Mom was one of the first taken with my new camera…have I mentioned how excited I was?!?). It didn’t take long after the wrapping paper had settled before ALL of the Smucker clan was sacked out on the couch and I utilized this time to check out the different settings on my camera.  It takes pictures in black and white…who knew…and they aren’t too bad…check out the sleeping cherubs below…

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The following morning we woke to it snowing for Christmas which was great and it also suited me just fine that it didn’t really continue to snow throughout the day as I was scheduled to work that night. 

  

I’d like to say that Toby was watching it snow but he was more interested in the cats eating on the porch than he was in the snow.  Had him quite preoccupied.

Of course, Papa Smurf needed to “help” Jamie out with the morning feeding here at the bison farm.  Mom and I decided to follow soon after as it was a great excuse to use my new camera. Papa Smurf was on gate detail apparently…he did a great job…nothing got out!

I liked the way the camera picked up the movement in these shots…not super impressive shots, but I was pleased…doesn’t take much.

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The following are my “babies”…my furry babies.  They were more than happy to come in from the cold after my parents left on Christmas.  We also had some guests again that evening at the Inn.  My mother and father-in-law, came down to spend the night with us.  I don’t have any pictures of our time together as much of their visit I was either working or sleeping.  But we enjoyed spending time with them as well.

We often keep the dogs gated in our large kitchen/dining area to keep the hair balls contained and Bella isn’t a big fan to say the least.  Out of all 3 of them, she is the one who likes to snuggle the most.  Many times just making eye contact with her through the gate will get her all excited and she’ll throw her head on the floor, butt in the air and attempt to become one with the floor in any effort to get underneath the gate…it rarely works, but she sure does try!  Gotta give her an A for effort and that pathetic look…yep, get that every time too.  That’s my Bella! 

Because of my work schedule and other family obligations, my family had our Christmas a week later on New Years Day.  Everyone once again came down to our home for the evening and as always it was quite a night!  Jason and Lacey were the first to show up along with their kids.  This is Caleb, the latest addition to the family.   I think Uncle Jamie thinks Caleb is pretty cool cause he likes sleeping and pooping too.

  Rachel thinks my stethoscope is the coolest toy ever!  She likes to play nurse when she comes to my house…I like hearing her try to say “stethoscope”.  Here Pappy, you do it now.

And then there is this little munchkin…his smile gets me every time and then he starts “talking” and I’m melting all over again.

Oh my goodness, for those of you who have just begun with baby’s at Christmas and they aren’t really old enough to comprehend unwrapping let alone the sparkly toy inside…just wait!!!  This was the first year that opening presents was a big deal to some of the kids and when I say it was a big deal…we coulda done this ALL week if it’d have been up to them!!  Isaac marched in the door upon arriving and I had a box in my hand and the first words outta his mouth were, “Present for me?”  From here on out Christmas is gonna be crazy!!!  And I love it!  I happened to be sitting on the couch in front of Isaac while he was opening up gifts and he kept wanting me to get his picture, this is what I got in return when I asked him to smile…you would think Christmas was painful for him…trust me, it wasn’t!

Jessie is all about the bling-bling!  That girl sees a sparkly necklace your wearing or a glittery headband and she’s lost is princess world.  So my Mom had gotten her a kids jewelry set…you would have thought she was the queen…this is her “pretty face” (below)…complete with drool.  Mom also got all the girls fairy costumes.  Rachel and Jessie couldn’t get enough prancing about in them…the picture above is Jessie swaying back and forth as though she is the fairest maiden of them all!  Can’t wait to go shopping with this fashionista!

And Uncle Mike being the “fairy” that he is just couldn’t resist putting on those little pink wings and posing especially since Elianna wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of being a fairy just yet…give her time and you’ll soon have to pry those wings off her to get a bath.  “He looks like a pink nightmare!”

I can see the wheels turning…”Hmm, whose day can I make with this thing?”  The fairy costumes came complete with a crown, wand, skirt and wings.  What more could they need?    

More smiles!

Papa Smurf received this sign from Mike & Maegan.  “It’s a Wonderful Life” has always been a family favorite and somewhat of a tradition over the holidays…great idea M&M!  M&M also celebrated their 6th anniversary on the 2nd and had decided to take their kids to Port Discovery in Baltimore for the day and since they were down on the 1st, they had decided to crashed for the night at the TW Inn…yet another great idea!  We enjoyed their stay and look forward to having them down again for a visit.

Well that concludes our Christmas memories for 2010.  We are looking forward to the memories to be made in 2011.  A late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!