Chirstmas 2011

After reading everyone else's posts (I must do this before I post, hence why it seems I don't get to it very often) on Christmas this year, so much is running through my mind of what I want to write about/share.  So, I think I'll just start from the beginning and random thoughts will most likely just come from my fingers.  And, by the way, this post has TONS of pictures.

Needless to say this was a very special Christmas for Gage, not only because it's the 1st one he remembers and was excited about, but also because his Grandma and Grandpa from Texas were able to come up and spend the long weekend with us. 

For the whole month of December Gage was super excited about Christmas.  Of course from the first moment we put up the tree Gage couldn't keep his little hands off of it.  I mean, who can blame him....we have just about every Hallmark ornament on the Earth that sings and plays music and moves or talks, etc.  Anyway, it definitely took a good few days and some 'talking tos' before Gage understood he couldn't just pull ornaments off the tree whenever he wanted.  I also bought Gage the Little People Christmas CD, as mentioned before, and just about every day in December we listened to it in the car.  He knows a few Christmas carols by heart.  I tell you, this kid's memory is outstanding!

In any case, we spent the month talking about Santa Clause and what he would bring us and continuing a long family tradition from when I was a kid-driving around often to look at Christmas lights.  Gage LOVED it....'Oh, look at that' was probably his favorite thing to say.  Along with 'oh, I see Frosty snowman, I see Santa, I see reindeer, etc'.  He definitely loved the lights as much as I did when I was a kid and asked to go often.  It took us a while this year to go see Santa.  Gage was sick and I was trying to avoid a runny nose Santa picture, but just last Monday, we finally  made it.  And just like we planned Gage wasn't scared at all and just wanted to chat Santa up and make his requests of 'drums' and 'choo choo trains'.  Although he was too busy chatting with Santa to really care about getting his picture taken, at least he wasn't wailing like last year.

Christmas Eve was special this year since Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Steve were here. We were going to attempt church but after no nap Gage and I bowed out. We were going to go alone anyway since Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa were going to go to midnight mass. At any rate, church was not in Gage's 2011 Christmas agenda. I ended up going later alone after putting out all of the presents. But before that Gage, as grumpy as he was, and I made Santa cookies and left them and carrots for the reindeer.

Gage wanted to try some reindeer food

Christmas morning was so special this year. Gage loved every minute of it and absolutely loved opening gifts. Funny thing is I've seen a kid or 2 just tear into gifts one by one not even looking at each one, but Gage was the exact opposite- he wanted to play with every gift and could care less about the next one. He didn't seem to notice he had many more to go.  His favorite was his 'motorcycle' (AKA tricycle), his drums and his guitar, of course.  However the gifts of all gifts was from Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Steve- Gage's very own cuckoo clock!

I'd say Gage made out pretty well and we haven't even had Round 2 at Nana and Grandiddy's house.  As I mentioned Gage loved opening the presents, but he also loved rolling around in the paper, much like the leaves at Grandiddy's house (see Christmas card). 



The spread



Gage immediately loved his 'motorcycle'

....that was until he saw his guitar

.....and his drums!

Gage was a champ at unwrapping gifts

Happy boy!

This was his favorite part

And this was the aftermath

Gage jammin' out

Our Christmas 2011 family photo

Gage, Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Steve

We rounded out the weekend with the Grandparents by going to the Air and Space Museum.  Gage must have run for an hour and a half straight just saying, 'oh, look at the huge airplane' over and over.  I don't think he ever.stopped.once. 

Awesome picture

But definitely my favorite (I know, I say that all the time)

'Da airplane is HUGE'

very appropriate

Luke and I forewent gifts for each other this year to get A gift for each other- our new kitchen table.  Although it was a little anticlimactic and not fun to 'open', it's what we needed and it's definitely a welcome change.  ha...my, how Christmas changes when you're an adult. 

Merry Christmas to Us!

My favorite part of Christmas this year however, was a carry over from my birthday.  I got the.best.pictures.EVER, well for me anyway of Christmas this year with my brand new camera!  I don't even know how to work it yet so I can't imagine when I actually start learning about it AND even editing.  Currently I'm just happy pointing and clicking.  My favorite part of my new camera, which I imagine is lots of peoples' when they go from a digital to a DSLR, is that I can click, click, click and eventually get some good looking pictures.  My old camera was sooo slow.  Well, I imagine I missed a few things about our Christmas 2011, but there will be more to come.  I'm just excited about my good quality pictures this year!  More posts to come on Elmo Makes Music! and Round 2 of Christmas 2011!