Hello everyone! I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving! I know that we had a very good ThanksChristmas this year! Even though it was very hard for all of us to get together for our first major holiday celebration without Mom we pulled through! I now she was looking down on us the entire time, probably laughing at us and how silly we are! She was missed greatly but I think we all know that she was there with us, someway or another, to share this day!
As always, I did not take as many pictures as I should have! I always forget to reach for that camera, so hopefully others snapped some shots and will post them.
I just want to thank everyone for their help, individually, please don't sigh!
Kim and Jacob - Thanks for coming down extra early and helping me get all ready and finish up Christmas shopping and putting up with my hairy eyebrows!!
Kendall - Thanks for braving the snow and also helping me get ready before everyone else showed up. Also for staying an extra night and traveling the hour to Five Guys Burger with us to make Ben happy! Only a true sister would do that!
Kelly and Karen - Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen Wednesday night after everyone had eaten! It meant a lot that I did not have to do it and could continue sipping my wine!
Nick - Thanks for doing dishes, burning garbage, packaging left overs,helping with the turkey, refilling wine, helping with the Christmas tree, and constantly asking what I needed help with!
Scott and Chris - Thanks for helping with the frying of the turkey and finding all the missing pieces to the fryer! Plus with hauling garbage also!
Dad and Raylene - Thanks for getting here early despite our not being ready to start! Thanks for helping with the cleaning up and packaging of left overs after dinner Thursday and being helpful in the kitchen during meal preparations and doing dishes!
Mark - Thanks for bringing the extra food: shrimp, ham, peanuts, and stuffing! Also for stepping up to the challenge of doing all the shopping this year by yourself! You done good!
Emma, Anna, Ella, Jacob, Colby, and Amelia - thanks for decorating the Christmas tree! You all were a big help and it looks beautiful!
Okay now that I am done with that, enjoy the pictures!
Let the festivities begin!
Seriously, these presents are mine?
Grab a seat while you can! Karen and Scott buddy up to avoid the dreaded floor seat!
Dad claimed his spot on the couch by Jacob!
Who needs presents when you love the bag!
I guess this Elmo gift bag has been around for awhile, Karen wanted it back to she could reuse it next year!
Mark was able to grab a good corner seat, but had to assist Ella and Amelia with unwrapping!
Not a bad gig though!
Doesn't he look so happy to be here?!?! Actually Nick was my pseudo husband for the holiday because Ben had to work! He was awesome and he did a ton more than my husband would have done!! Sorry Ben, but he went above and beyond brother-in-law duties!
Thanks Nick!
Anna, trying to figure out the digital camera she scored from Grandpa Cooper, Aunt Kelly, and Uncle Nick! I did not find my new digital camera though, I will have to talk to my not so secret sister about that! HEHE!
Colby and Amelia got Knapford Stations from Aunt Kendall and they LOVED them! Amelia had to unwrap hers after Colby cause she wanted it so badly!
Oh boy! This is so cool! I want something and I get it!
Jacob got some AWESOME tractors, that he absolutely loved!
He was so busy checking out his presents and everyone elses that I never got a face shot of him!
Colby loves Frosty the Snowman and so we got her one for Christmas!
I think she likes him!
My favorite picture!
Emma opening up her digital camera!
Her face says it all!
I love this girl, she is growing up so fast!
Aunt Kelly had to help Amelia open up her present from the James' Family.
Obviously Amelia is thrilled with her bean bag chair! She has since set it up in front of the chair and jumps onto it!
Just her size! I bet she wishes she had unwrapped it first so she could have done this the entire present opening time!
All I need is my hat, right?
Can we get the show on the road already, I am feeling slightly flushed?
What happened to those gloves? Oh thats right, I don't like to keep them on!
Here we go a caroling among the leaves so green!
Ummmm. Did not see that one coming.
