1st Christmas in America

What mom doesn't look forward to her first Christmas with a child? There is just a special wonder about Christmas lights and gifts when kids are around. Our first Christmas together was last year in Uganda. There were no presents. No lights. Just a quiet morning that came in like all the rest. We spent the morning at church reading about the birth of our Savior and singing carols. We enjoyed a simple lunch and just enjoyed each other all day while drinking lots of soda. There was something amazing about the simplicity of it all much like I imagine the first Christmas in the stable must have been. But I won't lie....this year was so much fun.

I have been the baby of the family for 36 years. I still beg to open presents early. I shake gifts to try to figure out what they are. Let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It was so fun watching Daizy try to figure out gifts and beg day in and day out to open them. No one ever gave into my begging though. I let Daizy open gifts early at home. We ended up opening a gift the day we got to Alabama. And then instead of waiting until Christmas morning we opened gifts on Christmas Eve. Daizy's pop and auntie Teri are softies where she is concerned. Getting to sleep in on Christmas morning was a great gift to this sick momma!!

The baby of the family lost her title. I usually have the biggest stack of gifts but not this year. Daizy couldn't see over her mound of presents. My heart couldn't have been happier. She loved everything she opened and just when we thought she couldn't be anymore excited she would squeal with glee over the next box. Pops definitely won the prize as best gift giver with all the pop star purple clothes and especially with the cowboy boots. Who knew Pops was such a great shopper....good thing he had an elf helper.

Mom still racked up though. I got a new north face coat, a nice smoker and many other goodies.

After having Christmas with mom on the 19th and Christmas with Auntie Teri, Pops and Potter on the 24th she still wasn't done being spoiled. We still had Christmas at Grandmother's to look forward to.

After Daizy got over strep throat I stayed sick pretty much the whole Christmas break so I didn't take many pictures with her. This is one of the only ones I managed to get and you can tell I am not at my best. Oh well....still love making memories with this kiddo.