Christmas 2013

I had a really great Christmas season this year with friends and family.

I feel like the season started off with a little Christmas dinner I had in mid December. The theme was "Merry & Bright". So guests had the option of how to take the 'bright' part which was a dress code requirement - glitter, sparkles, bright colors. I ended up wearing my favorite gold glitter shorts. Alicia wore a bow skirt (similar but much cuter than this one) and was definitely the best dressed. 

Other than the mirror selfie of me before I changed for bed, I took no pictures! Thanks to those that came.

Why do I have to get so pale in the winter?

 Shannon had a cookie decorating party, so I got my fill of decorating. My favorite is the obre tree I made with pink icing and sprinkles.

Gifts under my little tree. :)

Something new we did this year, which I hope continues to happen every year, was getting together with my grandma's family. We used to go to my Great Grandma Primer's house every Christmas night. It was hands down my favorite part of Christmas when I was little, because we'd all get dressed up in nice Christmas dresses, there were so many people there, and I like being dressed up and at holiday parties! The last time we all got together was the year the Christmas before Grandma moved in to the assisted living facility, which I believe was 2006. It'd been a while. Thank you Cathy for hosting all of us at your house!

Somehow three generations in a row were 90% girls.

On Christmas Eve, Heather, Jimi and baby Cooper came down for Christmas. This year, Holly's family didn't make the trip to Ohio (I'm heading there later this week!). But it was fun to hang out with Cooper, which we refer to as Hanging with Mr. Cooper :). It was great to be a part of his first Christmas.

He is obviously not a fan of Uncle Tyler.

This year, Mam and Randy didn't go to candlelight service at their church, so Molly and I got dressed up and went to the service that Grace UM was having with Teresa and Erin. I loved the service. They told the story of Christmas by reading verses and then having a song that went with it, so throughout the program we went from Mary finding out she was with child by the Holy Spirit, to ending with the wise men arriving at the stable. There were a few songs that we didn't sing which I consider 'must have' Christmas songs, BUT they did sing my new favorite Christmas song which is Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. We sang it at BSF a few weeks ago, then I started noticing it everywhere! I love it!

Silent Night by candlelight at church!

On Christmas Day, we went to Mam and Papaw's for breakfast. I love Christmas morning breakfast at their house. It's my favorite Christmas tradition. Other families do dinner, we do breakfast.

This year, instead of buying gifts for everyone, we drew names. I got my Mom's name and she got mine. I got her a pair of nice pajamas and she got me a chunky grey necklace and black and white Aztec print leggings.

Cousins at Mam's.

Each year, Mam takes my picture with her nativity scene. She has done this since I was a baby and someday I'm going to go through all of her photos and get those pictures and put them all together. She doesn't do this with any other grandkids. I'm sure it has to do with me being the first grandchild and after more came along it got too hectic. ha. 

I tried to get a 'family' photo of Bowie and I in front of my parents tree, but that worked about as well as nailing jello to a tree (a saying of Dad). So here is the best result. Molly even got one of her jumping out of my arms. 

#dyejobneededasap #aswellassun

Christmas night we exchanged gifts with the family. I got another pair of aztech leggings (from Molly) and a cute top, along with new towels, flannel sheets and a shop vac. And of course, I was super excited about all of them. #gettingold

The best present of all.

Dan was in town for the holidays from Brazil. He was an exchange student that lived with Vonnie and John in 2011. One evening we all went over and played card games all evening with him, Anna (his cousin who is the current exchange student living with Vonnie) and some of Dan's friends from when he visited. It was a lot of fun. We played Apples to Apples every day for a week. It's a fun game!

Molly also gave Portuguese lessons in between rounds.

After 7 days at home, Bowie and I were excited to come back to Columbus, although I was really jealous that the night I left Molly got to hang out with Payton and Avery and then the next day they went prom dress shopping!!!! While unpacking and putting away gifts, I realized Bowie got about 25 mice or play toys for Christmas! And I didn't buy her any of them! My family always teases me about being a cat lady, but look who the crazy ones are that buy her stuff. (I may or may not have bought her catnip bubbles at the store last night, but it was after Christmas!)

I'm the baby, gotta love me!

This was a great Christmas and I'm so thankful to have spent it with my family. In the past I stressed about decorating and gifts and wrapping them. This year, I took time to read the stories of Jesus' birth from the Bible, because to me that's an important part of the holiday season. :) My gifts weren't wrapped any special way - a cheap roll of paper from Target and festive bows from Walmart, but hey, they served their purpose!