If only I could bottle up Josh's excitement and release a little everyday, 2011 would be the best year of our lives. But, alas, this level of excitement can only come one morning a year.
Christmas morning.
His happiness was palpable. 
It was love at first sight when Josh found his Toy Story 3 "claw" nestled under the Christmas tree, right where he asked Santa Clause to leave it.
That Santa, sure knows what he is doing. 
Blissfully happy with his gifts. 
Blissfully happy with his gifts. I love this picture. Josh is describing (in dramatic detail) the scene at the end of Toy Story when all the characters are stuck in the furnace and the claw saves the day.
Such passion.
Such intensity.
Here we are opening our favorite gift of 2010. It was nicely wrapped under the tree for 2 weeks. Every time I walked past the tree, this little package grabbed my eye and I just couldn't wait to find out what was inside. It was the gift that Josh made us in his class at school, and luckily I didn't have to wait until the 25th. He told us a few days earlier that he "made an ornament with his picture and wood sticks and wrapped it up" but, he said, " I can't tell you what it is." Hum? This is similar to how hide and go seek goes at our house...
"Mommy, I'm going to go hide behind the couch, but I'm not going to tell you where I'll be."
The aftermath of Christmas #1.
Our Christmas with Chris' family was a whirlwind of fun. First, we headed to see his extended family on Christmas Eve for our annual "Happy Birthday, Jesus" party. This is a day that we look forward to every year. It is what Christmas is all about. Family, new and old memories together, a lot of sweets, and a lot of love. We read the story of Jesus' birth and prayed for a safe new year.
And we ate. A lot.
And laughed. A lot.
That night, Chris' parents and sisters came to Dallas to spend Christmas morning with us. After opening gifts and watching Josh enjoy the magic of Christmas morning, we had a yummy brunch. Then, we sat around in our jammies the rest of the day and watched Christmas movies.
Perfection.
After celebrating Christmas with Chris' family, we headed to my parent's house and found this giant stranger waiting for us. 
"I haven't see you in a year, but I don't care!!! Look at my new Legos and come play with me!"
More Christmas magic and more toys.
Josh is so blessed, aka: spoiled.
As for our newest holiday tradition, Chris constructed his infamous turkey derrick and fried us a nice big bird for our family dinner. I, for one, appreciate a man who can utilize a drill, a ladder, 5 gallons of boiling oil, and cinder blocks all while drinking a champagne cocktail from a Waterford flute.
After dinner, we opened our traditional Christmas crackers. Josh loved being "the king" in his paper crown. I loved the cheesy jokes.
My favorite,
Q: What is the most famous woman in the United States?
A: Mrs. Sippi.
After setting our dessert on fire with a bottle of whiskey, we indulged in my mom's traditional plum pudding. It was delicious. Want the recipe? Here you go...
Happy Birthday, Meme! The grown-ups (and Phil) took my mom out for a nice meal to celebrate her big birthday. She looked gorgeous, the food was fabulous, and Josh was safe at home with a nice sitter so we could enjoy the meal, just us adults (and Phil).
1 comment:
In retrospect, my behavior at dinner that night probably meant I should have been left at home with josh and the babysitter (not with the grown ups). Thanks for a great Xmas Josh, Chris, and Al (in order of importance clearly).
Ho.ho.ho.
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