Celebrating Christmas

This past year we stretched Christmas out over the course of a week and had a wonderful time with family members celebrating Christ's birth. It started on December 21st with Mom, Dad, and Daniel over for lunch.

Well, really it started the night before, when Charlie was SO excited to give Granana the gift he got her! He couldn't wait any longer!

He was so proud to give her this porcelain penguin he had picked out. When he saw it in the store he was adamant that this was what she needed! I thought the whole thing was precious.

And now back to the 21st...

A couple days before Christmas Charlie randomly asked for a teddy bear for Christmas (after all the gifts were purchased!). Granana came to the rescue by wrapping up Cocoa Bear that I had when I was little and another similar black bear for Henry. They were very excited!

Giving Gammer HIS teddy bear! Charlie picked this gift for Gammer, certain that he needed a bear. He had planned this before we even got to the store.

Looking at one of their gifts with Gammer.

Henry enjoyed the unwrapping this year too!

These big bags are our "stockings" from Mom and Dad. Enormous fun!! They are always filled with a combination of useful things like laundry detergent and toothpaste as well as splurges like jewelry and candy!

Charlie's gift glee. He was so excited to open everything and ran from one present to the next!

"Helping" Uncle Daniel with his stocking, ha!

Daniel got a Whole Foods gift card from us since he is a very frequent shopper there!

For lunch we had slow cooker pork loin with apples, mashed potatoes, Mom's sweet potato casserole, Mom's green beans, broccoli, Sister Schubert rolls, and Windmill Bakery pie and ice cream. YUM!!

Digging in.

My snuggler!

Playing with their new tent Granana and Gammer gave them.

New blocks!

Jimmy's new TV!!! That was his big present this year.

Taking pictures is not a favorite activity of the Byrd boys...

....but at least they like to give each other hugs.

It seems that they never look at the camera at the same time. Oh well.

All of us!!! And everyone is looking in the direction of the camera!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse interlude....

Think they like watching it?!?!

On Sunday at church, the grade-school children put on the annual Christmas carol production. They did a wonderful job!

On Monday, a big package arrived from Tennessee that we tore into! Charlie and Henry loved seeing a surprise on our front door. Mam-maw sent remote control jeeps for the boys, play doh and accessories, a gift card, and some other treats for us. Melissa also generously gave to our boys stuffed Curious George and Mickey Mouse figures, as well as books.

Christmas Eve had a rough start... I ended up at the Minute Clinic being checked out for pink eye. I was there two long hours... and then after plans falling through for our lunch with Jimmy (who was supposed to be at work until 6, like normal) and another unexpected fiasco, I was a big crying mess. Jimmy saved the day by being able to come home several hours early, and we all attended Richland Creek's Christmas Eve service at 5 with our neighbors. Then our family went to Red Lobster for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner that we didn't have to cook or clean up! Christmas Eve evening was one of the most special times of our celebration to me. I loved being with our little family, focusing in on Christ's birth at the service, and watching Charlie and Henry in awe of the "snow" that fell after the service (there was some sort of snow machine that made it a winter wonderland in there!). Charlie also loved looking at the Christmas trees at the front of the church and ran from one to the other showing me everything.

Once we got home it was time for Christmas pjs and reading our Christmas nativity books, then off to bed!

Christmas Eve 2013. I think one is a framer!

Matching jammies complements of Granana.

Jimmy and I had a great time getting everything ready for Christmas morning once the boys were in bed. He put together our breakfast casserole while I wrapped gifts and filled stockings. We also set the table for the brunch we would be having the next day with the Deskos.

We had Cars wrapping paper!

The scooter and stack to the left is Charlie's, and the basketball goal and stack to the right is Henry's (though with the boys being so close in age and small right now, we intended for them to share everything!).

Opening his first present, a set of paints.

Henry went straight for the basketball and knew what to do!

Mid-shot!

Charlie was inspecting his stocking, which was filled with Nilla Wafers, gingerbread men cookies, and several pieces of chocolate.

Charlie getting ready to open his "big" present...

It's the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!

Opening his Curious George tea set.

Henry opening his tee balls!

Henry and his "big" present to open...

...a Mega Blocks block table!

How Henry thinks we should ride the scooter.

Charlie checkin' out his new ride! He rode around downstairs some, and we've also taken him outside by now... he's pretty good!

Having fun at the block table.

Building towers like this one requires concentration!

I brought down their wooden cake set so they could make Jesus a birthday cake.

A Cheetos tea party, compliments of Henry!

Playing together.

I love watching them play with each other!

After playing and hanging out with each other for most of the morning, we finished getting things ready for our brunch. We fixed the breakfast casserole, fried apples, and coffee cake, and the Deskos brough ham sliders and clementines. It was delicious! The adults had a great time sitting around the table chatting after brunch while the kids played. We're definitely hoping to make this a tradition!

That afternoon we packed the boys up and headed to visit with family in Eden. Jane cooked a great dinner as usual, then the little cousins opened their gifts from each other.

Jimmy with all the boys' loot. WOW.

Tearin' into his present!

The Christmas candy cane you see right behind Charlie was probably the biggest hit of the night. What can beat a candy cane full of M&Ms?!?!

Chris and Emily, and Henry opening another package.

The boys got lots of play food as one of their gifts, and they promptly dumped it all on the floor.

Bruce, Shayna, and Dylan.

The boys and Shayna kept sitting together looking cute at the fire place, and I was trying to snap a picture at the right time. One or a couple of them kept getting up, and then there was the problem of this picture... Charlie picking his nose!! I couldn't resist posting it! : )

On the way home we saw this beauty in Danville! The Griswold Family Christmas Tree, ha!

Complete with roots and all.

Dan even posed in front of it!

Jimmy and I both went to work on Thursday, and after he got home from work on Friday we headed to Mom and Dad's house. We were going to celebrate with Mom's side of the family and stay for a relaxing Christmas weekend. Charlie was awake the whole way, and Jimmy and I really enjoyed chatting with him during the drive! We both commented on how he is his own little person, with his own opinions and ideas now!

The next morning before family arrived, Kathryn and Betsy came by with the twins.

Also, here are some of Mom's pretty decorations:

The mantle.

The china cabinet.

Family started arriving around lunchtime. The little cousins opened all their gifts in a whirlwind, with tissue paper flying everywhere. No one had any time to take pictures of them opening, ha!

We did, however, get to take a picture of this very special gift:

Nick and Stephanie gave Daniel a basketball signed by COACH K!!!!! Whoa! He was understandably very excited and happily smiled for a picture!

Charlie and Darla playing together.

Cal playing Santa/Snow Man tic-tac-toe.

Charlie with Grandma and Gene.

Helping Granana open her gift.

Piano duet!

Darla playing the lunch blessing on the piano. (Away In a Manger, I think.) It was so sweet... 

Everyone during lunch. Mom fixed Dixie Chicken and lots of yummy sides.

After lunch Henry fell asleep on Darla while they were watching a video. How sweet!

Darla and Charlie had a good time playing under the dining room table.

More playing...

Eating Milk Duds. 

(By his face you can tell Charlie doesn't have much experience with tacky candy!)

Meredith and Cal

Mark and Cal

Trying to get everyone in one picture!

Everyone left in the early evening, and we all settled in and relaxed.

Henry with his jammies in the little rocker my brother rocked in!

I come from good stock. : )

Charlie nearly fell asleep eating his dinner sandwich, so I was more than glad to snuggle with him and let him take a nap! We all watched "Home Alone" together.

Henry got in on the snuggles too!

Sweet boy.

Reading with Uncle D.

He loves his Gammer!

The boys thought I needed help playing the piano.

Under the table again.... I guess it makes a nice hide-out for little ones.

It was nice to be home in VA for the weekend. We don't go there often since we are all together in Wake Forest quite a bit, but this was a nice change of pace and a great time to relax and hang with one another. It was also fun to read, watch TV, and spend some (blissful) time at the piano. There's just nothing like playing a real piano with weighted keys (as opposed to a key board, even a full-sized electric keyboard...)!

Sunday morning we got up and went to church together. Mom and I are in our black and white! The boys even had on sweater vests and nice pants.... big time for us since we normally wear jeans to church!

Handsome Charlie (in the TV zone...)

Handsome Henry!

After church we had pizza, and while the little boys napped and the big boys watched football, Dad and I hiked the Tobacco Heritage Trail. It was a pretty trail and a refreshing walk. When we got back we took the boys to see Aunt Tina at the nursing home. They had colored a picture for her and we also had a Christmas picture to take her. Once we walked in and saw an elderly gentleman sitting in the hall, Charlie turned right back around and would go no further than the lobby. He was a bit scared! Mom went and got Tina from her room and wheeled her to the lobby so the boys could visit there. When they got into the lobby, though, Charlie was hiding under an end table! He came out after a minute and visited nicely with Tina from that point on.

We headed back home for dinner after a bit. After Henry pitched a gargantuan fit about not eating green beans, we packed our tired babies in the car and headed back to NC! Jimmy and I savored the time we had on the way home... quiet in the back, so we could talk in the front!

The next day was Monday, so it was back to real life. Whew, what a week, but what a great Christmas!