Our first white Christmas was here in Georgia and began on Christmas Eve with Mass. We got there very early to get a seat, and by the time the service started, Carson was finished. As a result, Brandon and I each experienced portions of the Mass and filled each other in later :) One of us was pretty much always outside or in the hallway, keeping Carson from snack-stealing and water-fountain-hoarding. The church had a 'live nativity' outside (which was really a bunch of mini-animals who were wrangled by teenagers in jeans, wearing sheets on their heads to look like wise men or Mary and Joseph or something). Regardless, it was truly awesome--the miniature sheep, goats, donkey, and regular-size camel and rabbits were fascinating to Carson (and me, if I'm honest). They weren't babies; they were just tiny. So cute and non-threatening to pet. It kept Carson entertained throughout our time at church.
Anwyay, after church, we went back to my parents' house with brothers, sisters, and cousins, for lasagna and some hanging out before it was time to head home for bed.
The next morning, we woke up very excited to see how Carson would react to Christmas. At the first peep she made through the monitor, Brandon shot out of bed and to her room before I had even fumbled around and gotten my glasses on my face (this is usually the exact opposite of how Brandon wakes up in the morning). After a diaper change and a banana, we let Carson see the set-up by the tree. She looked in the den, looked back at me, looked in the den, looked at Brandon...as if to say, "Did you guys see all this cool stuff?!?" It was super-cute.
C's two main gifts were this play house door (we love it because it's smaller than a whole play house...obviously...but has a lot of the fun stuff a play house might have) and this train (which, by the way has NO off switch OR volume control). If these had been the only things she received from anyone at all this year, she would still be playing non-stop with them, totally content.
We had a truly entertaining morning, watching the first Christmas that Carson got to really play with her gifts and show surprise and excitement with everything going on. Brandon and I exchanged gifts as well, then C went down for a nap while we reviewed pictures from the morning, ate breakfast, and relaxed.
Once Carson was up again, we headed to my parents' house for more holiday fun. There was a gift-opening bonanza, lots of good food, and such a warm and loving atmosphere.
My favorite part of the afternoon was watching Carson with her cousins. They are just starting to interact, and it's hilarious. She and Patrick had a hug-tackling tournament, during which they would hug and inevitably lose their balance and end up on the ground...which eventually became the goal. It was fantastic. And Maddy was so excited to see Carson, she kept patting her--which confused Carson to no end. It made me look forward to all the holidays and years ahead of them playing together.
My mom also went to great lengths to accomodate all the food issues in our family (Carson's allergies to milk and eggs, and my aunt and cousin's wheat intolerance--physical, not personal). In addition to making her usual gluten-free dishes for Ellie & Lindsay, my mom made a whole separate stuffing that was gluten and dairy-free, and she made sure Carson had dessert--her very first (soy) ice cream!
The next day, we loaded up the car, dogs, etc. and drove to Giddy and Grandad's in South Carolina for our second white Christmas. Carson was a total trooper, after a long drive and busy weekend. We pretty much opened gifts as soon as we got there, because Grandad hadn't let anyone touch the presents until Chad, Courtney, and the Beans arrived (although he was the only one who had trouble following the 'no open until everyone has their gifts' rule once we did start). So this is what their den looked like when we got there...
It was another great afternoon, filled with plenty of of laughing and generosity.
We stayed in South Carolina from Sunday through Wednesday. Brandon and Chad were able to golf once the snow melted. Carson let Brandon and I practice our ninja skills of trying to go to bed in the same room as her without waking her--we would make terrible ninjas, by the way. The group took turns making dinner, which was a fun change of pace (and probably a welcome one for Giddy, who is always an amazing host, no matter how tired she might be). And Carson was just able to play and play--there's always something to entertain her, with all the people and pets who end up at the house.
Thank you so much to our families for another wonderful year! We know how much work and coordination go into planning such fabulous holiday celebrations.
Sorry there are so many pictures--I am terrible at editing (although I started with about 250 and narrowed it down to less than 100. You're welcome).
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