Merry Christmas

 Clay and I got to have our own little Christmas celebration a few days before Christmas.  It was not the dressed-up-in-Christmas-pajamas-candles-lit-and-cinnamon-rolls-coming-out-of-the-oven kind of evening that I was anticipating but instead we-need-to-get-to-our-volleyball-game-right-after-this-so-we're-in-sweats-and-have-someplace-to-go-let's-get-a-move-on-it!  Either way, it was still fun and will always be our first married Christmas together :).  And, if you've read the past birthday entry, you know that Clay cannot wait to give me gifts.  He had been trying to have our Christmas for a week or more so putting it off any longer wouldn't have gone over so well. 

Did you notice the difference in how the presents were wrapped (and labeled)? :)

 For Christmas weekend, we headed home to Illinois.  When my family came out for my birthday in November, Clay and I enjoyed the privilege of joining my dad for a train show.  This led to a request by Clay to have a train set up for Christmas around the Christmas tree.  I think this is one of my favorite pictures from Christmas morning with the family:

Isn't he so cute? :)  Clay would often sit and turn the train on and then Dad would come join him and pour some oil into the engine so that the train's little puffer thing would smoke. 

Enjoy a brief summary of our trip in the following pictures!  Dad and Clay racing slot cars on Christmas Eve:

Dad reading the Christmas story Christmas morning:

Kelli and Peter before Kelli opened her sewing machine from Kari and me (Clay decorated her wrapping paper):

Dad and Kari with Dad's hands resembling Sammi's paws:

Clay getting his new softball glove from Mom and Dad (those are my cupcake books next to him):

Mom looking all cute with her new purse and about to open up her Coldwater Creek clothes:

Mom and Dad..I believe Dad was trying on his new coveralls and I told him to go take a picture next to Mom :)  They're funny:

Finally, Mom and Dad's big gift was a grouping of re-printed framed pictures of people in each of their families--like their grandparents and parents and siblings and us girls (and boys).  Mom of course started crying looking through the pictures of her grandparents but we were expecting this.  I am so blessed to come from a family where my parents are still married and each of their parents were still married! 

Well, Christmas has ended once again..always a weird time of mixed feelings.  It's weird growing up and being on the "other side" of holidays..knowing what happens the night before and being a part of putting the whole celebration together.  Praise the Lord for saving us and that Christmas truly is an eternal celebration that never ends for those that know Him!