Would it be weird if I showed you Christmas pictures now?

So, it’s nearly two months since Christmas and it’s about 70 degrees outside.  What better time to post some way overdue pictures of our Christmas!  I know I like seeing all of your pictures, regardless of when you post them, so I figure maybe you feel the same? 

I’m always amazed (and a little sad) to see how fast Christmas comes and goes.  The anticipation is always so great, and I really love all the festive activities that lead up to the big day.  Earlier in December, our crew headed to downtown Richmond to take part in some holiday fun!

The city was officially “lit up” for Christmas, and there were discounted canal rides, complimentary hot cocoa, and free train rides for the kids.  The seasonal temps made for an especially festive night out! 

My favorite little Christmas elf:

We got some snow in mid-December which only added to the Christmas cheer!

 

{Our sole bit of outdoor decor, save a string of lights on our doogwood tree,  was a homemade wreath.}

{I made Darby’s cinnamon-honey butter and prettied up the jars for Wade’s teacher’s Christmas gifts.}

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning up in northern Va with Philip’s family.  The following sequence depicts reality when I try and stage a little festive photo shoot of my two kiddos.  Clearly, the pictures speak for themselves!

 

{Dave was talking to Ben about the importance of being patient while you wait for your turn to open presents :)}

 

{Everyone was so engaged while PopPop read the story of Jesus’ birth.}

Grammy and PopPop find the most creative gifts!

 

{You gotta hydrate well with all those presents to open!}

Nothing beats wrestling with your cousins!

{and daddy too, of course!}

The afternoon of Christmas day found us trekking down 29 South to Lynchburg.  We celebrated Christmas with my family on Christmas night. 

 

{Homemade potato soup upon our arrival!  Yum!  And Mom, what word did Dad use to describe dried chives?  I can only remember that it was something ridiculous and really funny!}

 

Looks like somebody got a bulldozer!  (Have y’all heard of PLAN toys?  We think they’re pretty cool.  All of their toys are made from the wood of rubber trees that no longer provide latex, and would otherwise be cut down and burned.  I love the classic look of them too.)

{Some people say Holland favors her MiMi…especially MiMi’s baby pictures!  Of course Mom likes this just a little bit :}

{Wade gave Papa a picture of the two of them on Papa’s tractor.}

Wade received a gift from my parents called “20 Trucks”.  The package consists of a video of 20 different trucks and peppy songs to accompany each truck.  The lyrics are actually quite hilarious.  Lines like “this is the work I really love because that’s what an excavator does” and “he’s an excavator, his work is more like fun” are just a few that I like.  A snazzy shirt was also included with pictures of, yup, you guessed it: 20 trucks. 

 

Who doesn’t love a grown man wearing his high school jacket with his “letter” on it? I know I do :)

 

My mom’s side of the family came over to my parent’s house the night after Christmas.  Pictured here is my cousin, Shannon and her husband Caleb.  Caleb is currently in the Air Force, so we like to pick their brains about what life may be like for us in the coming years.  We just found out they’re expecting their first baby this summer!  So exciting!

 

{This outfit was made by my grandmother for my brother 26 years ago!  It’s still going strong!}

Please note the third member of the photo shoot below.  His name is Lovey.  Wade enjoys Lovey’s company.  Fortunately for us, Lovey’s siblings (read:  exact duplicates of Lovey) are for sale at a store near our house.  Lovey recently went missing, so we are now technically on “Lovey 2” as we affectionately call him. 

Hope you enjoyed this Christmas 2010 recap on February 18th!  Ha!