Christmas Celebrations Part 1: Texas Style

Next year, I do not care where it goes, we are putting up the big tree.

We hope that everyone had a nice, relaxing, wonderful Holiday filled with peace, light, and chocolate.  We recently returned from celebrating Christmas on five separate occasions. All celebrations were filled with heartwarming tradition, the usual hustle and bustle, and unconditional love.

Using our new SLR camera, we weeded our photos down to 297.  With loads of laundry awaiting, suitcases that need unpacking, and an empty pantry awaiting me, I am instead blogging and slowly, but surely editing the photos.  Clearly, I will not be uploading all of these onto the blog (I will spare you that!), but we would like to give you a taste of our festive holiday. . . in a 3 part series.

Part 1: Texas Christmas

Sophie loves her new bone. 

Andrew, Ellie, the furbabies, and I celebrated our immediate family Christmas a few days early.  All around the Charlie Brown-like tree.  Christmas music in the background.  Camera flashing.  

Ellie Prints!

Both cats are hiding in the tree.

Ellie loved the toys she received so much that we couldn’t even get them out of their packaging fast enough.  Andrew really enjoyed receiving his “BaCoN” (barium, cobalt, nitrogen) biochem shirt as well as his “Linux Cheat Sheet” T-Shirt.  That red box that was just taunting me?--a gorgeous wooden jewelry box from Pottery Barn.  Andrew, would you like to give me diamonds to fill the box?

Mama Dunja & Papa Charles' House
A real fire in the fireplace!

Preparing for a Christmas Feast

The day before Christmas, we made our trek to Plano, Texas to visit with Awa Dunja and Papa Charles.  Andrew’s two brothers, their wives, and their children all attended this amazing feast.  I can honestly say that Andrew, Ellie, I were definitely not starved this Holiday season.  Dunja made a ham, seasoned potatoes, green beans, rolls, salad, and various desserts.  Did I mention how much I love dessert?

I just love Holiday china.

It was such a treat to catch up with Andrew’s family and for Ellie to socialize with her cousins Haleigh, Megan, and Zander.

These guys do not look related :-)
Mark, Tom, Andrew

Megan and Haleigh

Ellie Bear during the gift exchange.  It was WAY past her bedtime

There is also nothing like seeing Christmas through a child's eyes.