christmas memories {part 2}

So you must excuse a lot of these pictures.  Having the flu and messing with my camera just don't go well together.  I was doing good enough to even get pictures taken at times.  Looking back at these I realize I my settings were on something crazy.  But they are memories just the same.  Plus I'm just horrible at low-light no-flash pictures anyway.

My parents met us upstairs as soon as they heard the pitter-patter of feet on the floor. They never want to miss the kids' reactions when they come out to the living room.  Nothing like a "hi mom and dad, you don't want to hug me, I was sick all night."

This picture just cracks me up.

I was able to stand in the kitchen long enough to make Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Pancakes, topped with fruit, syrup and cool whip. The breakfast casserole had been done in advance.  I couldn't eat a thing so I just sat there.

 Daddy read the Christmas story before we ate.

 

This was the long-awaited gift from Aunt Rebekah.  She found some AWESOME costumes from Melissa & Doug (thanks to everyone for all the ideas for boy costumes!).  We hoped he'd fall in love with them.  And we are still hoping.  No matter what - thanks Rebekah!  Surely he will choose them over princess dresses soon, right?

Papa and Mima got the kids these fun scooters. We had seen them at a booth in Branson and the kids got to test ride them.  They both loved them!  The weight limit allows Dave and I to be able to get on them too - so fun!  So far, we've just rode them around on our wood floors.  But then they got banned to the garage.

We usually do a big meal later in the afternoon.  And by God's grace all the food was sitting in the fridge ready to be put in the oven.  Dave was wonderful and got everything in the oven and to the table while I slept on the couch. 

I felt so bad for my parents, they were here for less than 24 hours before having to drive 5 hours back home so my dad could work the next morning.  So they left late in the afternoon.  But before they left, my mom helped me take all the ornaments off of our very dry, very brittle, very droopy Christmas tree.  It had gotten so bad we really wanted to take it down before Christmas.  And then my dad helped Dave get it to the curb.  I'm not sure what neighbors thought about our tree at the curb by 4:30pm on Christmas Day.  The kids napped through the whole thing.  I think they were a little shocked to wake up from nap and see the tree gone.  I felt a little bad.  But really, it had to go. 

And that was just the beginning. 

All our decorations were down the very next day, the house was cleaned up, clutter was gone, not a sign of Christmas left, in fact, some of our personal things started to disappear too.  We got rid of a few extra pieces of furniture, trying to give everything a more spacious look, and we were back into house mode.  Half way through putting Christmas stuff away I sat down and had a small melt-down.  The post-Christmas blues are usually inevitable.  But to bring them on this hard and this fast to ourselves was quite depressing. But I got over it fast.  We had a showing the next day.

2010 is all wrapped up - and we are anxiously awaiting 2011.  Could be a some big changes ahead of us.  We are praying for God's guidance and protection.