Christmas Time

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

Well my most favorite time of the year has passed for 2012, the Christmas holiday season. We are so beyond blessed with friends and family to celebrate with that there is no shortage of get-togethers or people to visit! This year we spaced out our celebrations more than usual and it worked out great!

First we had a gathering with some of Chase's extended family. It's a big, fun group that has continued to grow over the years. We have three babies (including Augusta) on this side so that makes it all the more fun. There's lots of love to be shared in this group, and also lots of good food! Yum, yum, yum!

Augusta, Mommy, and Mims!

Three Beauties--absolutely adore them!

My favorites---hate its blurry!

 The following afternoon we did our gift exchange with Chase's immediate family. It's always fun to watch our nieces open their gifts, and this year was no exception. Lana's faces are always priceless. And Maddie and Augusta are starting to understand and enjoy it as well. It was perfect and no pressure was put on the babies as they opened. They were free to roam and come back and open gifts when ready, which is pretty much the way Augusta liked to do it this year! Her favorite gift here was probably her talking baby doll. (This girl is all about the babies!) Though as we got home and played, she has also enjoyed the portable princess CD player.

Two princessess sitting on their thrones

Me and my sweet girl!

Opening gifts with Mommy

 Christmas Eve was low-key at home. We did pop out to my parents for the traditional "Christmas Eve Gift." It's a tradition I haven't partaken in in many years, though it has lived on with my siblings. We also took our gifts for the next day and dropped them off since Christmas was predicted to be a wet one. When we arrived back at home, we were sure to sprinkle the Reindeer food and make cookies for Santa. Then it was off to bed to wait for his arrival!

Miss Independent was not happy with Mommy trying to help at this point!

Getting the hang of it...

Sprinkling Reindeer Food

Christmas Day was magical! With Augusta I feel like a little kid all over again! I couldn't wait to get her up and see her expression as she saw all her gifts! I actually woke up at 6 and laid awake until she awoke closer to 6:30. Then we came down stairs to find her presents from Santa. She was most excited with the Cinderella doll he left. Next we did stockings and our presents under the tree. I can't say Augusta was totally into it, but she did help unwrap some of the gifts. And she enjoyed playing with different things as we opened them for her. Mims and Paul-Paul also came over and brought some stocking goodies, and then it was off to Gammie and Pappy's house.

Augusta with her loot from Santa

Digging in her stocking

I'm telling you, all she needs is a baby doll!

 We opened presents with my parents and siblings, as we do every year. We also had our breakfast as we opened. This year Chase made 7-up biscuits that were super yummy! Mom gave Chase and I a coupon for two overnight babysitting sessions--subtle Gammie! ;) Again Augusta was spoiled with way too much! Her favorite thing here was probably her replacement "Pat the Bunny" book. It is by far her favorite book and she destroyed her first copy, so we're going to take extra good care of this one. Later we had a traditional Christmas dinner--love holiday food!!

Love!

Chase surprised by some of his gifts!

Augusta snuggled with Gammie while Pappy looks on

Family Pic!

 And I count this in the holiday season, although technically it's not. But my mom's birthday is the day after Christmas, so it's just something else we add to the celebrating. We had an awesome lamb roast for dinner. And for dessert I made my mom a cream cheese pound cake, from scratch! It was incredible! And it was my first time to make a pound cake, so I was super proud. Mom loved it too, and really that's all that matters!

First Pound Cake--Yummy!!

This Christmas our little family was just beyond anything I could imagine. We were showered with love and far too many gifts. God has truly blessed us this holiday season, and we couldn't ask for anything more! I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday and remembered the true reason for the season. Thank you Lord for all the continued blessings in my life!