Christmas Recap

We are finally home in Lubbock, so I guess it's time I post more about Christmas in Ontario. We were there for 3 1/2 weeks, which was absolutely wonderful. We got a little bit of snow when we first got there, so Hattie had fun walking around in it and making footprints.

And of course no trip to Grandpa's is complete without visits to the chickens. Hattie loved going out to see them, feed them, and collect their eggs.

Our little angel Anna finally showed her rotten side. She vetoed sleep on this trip, rarely sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time. Considering that she was sleeping 13 hours/night before this trip, it was a rude awakening for us. Hattie was a great sleeper, so for the first time in my life I could empathize with new moms whose babies were awake all night. It was just frustrating that she digressed so much. Hence the novelty of this picture.

Hattie LOVED spending time with her cousins. Every morning she would wake up and ask where her cousins were. She still asks for Abby, Kate, Charlie, Lukey, and the rest of the gang on a regular basis.

We got together to make graham cracker houses. Hattie kind of missed the point but the rest of the cousins loved it.

We went up to McCall for a few days in the snow. Sadly, I forgot to take our camera along. Lisa and Val watched our girls for us so Paul and I could ski. It sure made me miss being close to the mountains. Hattie really loved going sledding and would have stayed outside all day if we had let her.

Christmas Eve rolled around. Mark, Kerri, and Co. came over Christmas Eve. We didn't go caroling, which is a family tradition, but it was a bit unrealistic with 5 little ones. But we enjoyed singing Christmas carols together. Please ignore my voice in this video...not too pretty. We were enjoying watching Charlie and Hattie impromptu dance and hugs. Also, notice how Hattie always stares off into the distance...she's checking herself out in the front window.

When opening her stocking, Hattie went right for the good stuff. She opened all her Reese's and lined them up in a row.

Anna got the only thing she needed....socks.

And Grandma got Hattie some Ruby Red Slippers, which she wears all the time.

After Christmas we had another week to relax. Hattie got into all of my mom's cupboards and found these little bowls from Skippers. She had a great time equally distributing her milk amongst them. She also painted for the first time. (She really is mastering the cheesy grin)

My sister-in-law had her baby while we were in town, so we got to meet little David Dame! That also meant that my mom took care of Kerri's three older boys for a few days. Hattie LOVED having Isaac, Sam, and Charlie around all day...especially Charlie. The two of them would disappear to the basement together for hours. Once I came across this scene:

Of course, I didn't get too many pictures of Anna. She is growing so quickly. It's hard to believe that she was premature.

I was also able to spend a little time with my brother Spencer. He'll be leaving on his mission to Tallahassee, Florida in less than a month, so it was wonderful to see him one last time. I can't believe that Anna will be older than Hattie is right now when we see him again. Good luck Spence!

Flying home alone with the girls was once again stressful...not quite so bad as the first time around, but one of our flights was delayed 2 hours, which made us miss our connecting flight to Amarillo. Gratefully, both girls slept on the long flight from Portland to Dallas, so I had a few hours to relax...as much as one can relax with a baby sleeping in their arms and a toddler using your knee as a pillow. When we finally pulled into Lubbock at 10:00, I was exhausted, having been awake since 4:00 that morning. Paul had prepared a nice dinner for us and we had a mini-Christmas where we opened gift from Paul's mom and sister. Hattie was in heaven again.

All told, a wonderful vacation. I loved being with my sisters, watching Hattie play with her cousins, playing Pinochle until 2 am, cooking with my mom, and visiting with my dad. I've been blessed with such a wonderful and caring family. But we are glad to be home, getting back to normal and back on schedule. Gratefully, Anna has remembered how to sleep, so we are enjoying 13 hour nights again!