Christmas 2008

I started this post before New Year's but didn't have time to finish it before we left and now that I'm back, I can't seem to get a good, funny story line together to explain our Christmas adventures. So to hold you over until my creativity returns, here are a few pictures from Christmas. We had a fantastic time at all the family gatherings and loved spending time with each and every one of them.

1st and only real tree for the Smith's

And I say "Only" becasue the individual who wanted the real tree wasn't around for the decorating or the undecorating so next year I'll be using the ole artificial pre-lit number that's easy to put up and easy to take down.

My mantle was by far my favorite. Luckily, my Mom makes these Christmas wreaths out of different colored Christmas balls and she supplied all the Christmas balls to fill up my glass cylinders.
I loved the final product.

We went to Mamaw Lois' the Sunday before Christmas and I failed to take any pictures, probably because I was to busy eating.

On Christmas Eve we went to Brian & Sarah's for the Thomas Family Christmas! Good food, good fun & Dirty Santa, which can get pretty freaking dirty!

Below is video of the Byram Christmas Lights Spectacular. The lights danced along to the beat of 3 different songs. I had to get out of the car to get the video so you can't hear the music but it was pretty awesome!

After the light show, we spent with night at my parents house and celebrated Christmas with them on Christmas morning.

Stella hated her Christmas bow but she looked so cute.

Darrell and I hardly slept Christmas Eve because the bed was so small and Stella tried her best to take up majority of it. Not to mention the howling dog in the back yard that seriously howled 1 time every minute. It was quite miserable. When my dad shuffled in our room at 4:40 a.m Christmas morning I for sure thought Darrell was going to skip out on hunting but he didn't. He probably should have seeing as how he didn't see anything but he knew my Dad was looking forward to it.

This is the first year I have been able to keep Darrell in the dark about all of his gifts. Generally he starts guessing about his gifts around Thanksgiving and will name then in his guesses and I get so mad because he won't let it be a surprise that it gives them away. But this year he was genuinely surprised when he opened his gifts.

Ever since we started dating, he has always talked about these electric smokers that his former bosses dad would order. So my mom and dad secretly got it for him and he was so pumped that he started putting it together almost immediately. And then about had a coronary to cook something on it the day after Christmas! He's so excited in this picture that he doesn't even notice that poor Stella is trapped underneath his other gifts and about to fall out of the chair.

After breakfast and gifts at my parents, we went to my grand-parents for the Robertson Family Christmas Lunch.

My cousin Luke received this tricycle as a gift. It was quite the work out, if you couldn't tell that from the look on my face.

After my very brief workout we opened gifts. Uncle Jay had to go first. his daughters got him the gift of a lifetime when they purchased his first digital camera and brought him into the 21st century. Since 1992 he has been using the same manual/film camera - Ancient History!

Then the chaos that is the "Kids Christmas" ensued. The goal of Kids Christmas is for them not to lose anything within the wrapping paper as they are viciously ripping it off the gifts. I don't think we had any causalities this year.

Christmas night was spent with Mr. Stan & Mrs. Patti. Even though we had already gained 10 lbs. at my grandmothers we found room for another round of Holiday food and exchanged gifts.

We finished our holiday rounds the saturday after Christmas with The Sumrall's, my moms sister's family. 6 hours later we left with 2 good dirty santa gifts and full belly's!

Until next year, Happy Holiday's & Hotty Toddy from the Smith's