Christmas ‘09….with my new Camera!

Okay, it's been way too long, again. It seems like there's so much to do, that nothings getting done. I keep saying I'll get to the blog after...., but if I do that, it would never happen. So, now that I'm laying in bed all day sick with the cold, I figure now is as good a time as any.
Needless to say, we did have a great Christmas! It did seem a little more laid back this year, which is always nice. Jared did a good job, as usually, with buying gifts for me. He bought me a new fancy camera(that I love). I just need to get better at taking pictures. Some clothes, the Wii Fit plus game, and of course a ton of candy in my stocking. Those last two seem to cancel each other out. Anyways, Jared got a table saw and a shop-vac to go in his new, still packed full of boxes, garage. Jackson got several fun toys. An erector set, a Dino Dig game, which I will post the picts of later, and a remote control airplane that we haven't had the chance to fly yet. Colin got a ball pit and a box of balls. Can you tell what his favorite thing is?

Here’s Jackson with his pop-gun he got from Grandma Barnett.

And Colin with his Aunt Sharia, looking at his new Cars.

Aaaand, I just realized I misspelled that! Anyway, you get the point. I guess I was too excited about our Christas Snow;)

This was us leaving Lake Worth, on our way to San Antonio.  It usually takes us about five minutes to get from our house to where this photo was taken.  That evening, it took about 40 minutes. It took 2 hours to get to Burleson.

We listen to Glen Becks, “Christmas Sweater” story almost the entire drive. It really made the time pass. We got to San Antonio at about 10:00, I think.  We had to hurry and get the tree up and get the boys to bed before Santa came. 

Jackson, so handsome, and so glad Santa found us.

The boys, trying to find gifts for everyone.

Sweet Colin, with his wild hair.

Christy, opening her UT necklace we gave her.  Sorry Christy, it was the only picture I had of you that morning.

 

Here I am, checking out my new earrings.

And Colin, excited about his new present.

Jackson, excited about candy canes.

Jared, bundling up in everything he can find, it looks like.

After our festive Christmas morning went for a walk on the river and ended up at a nice Mexican place for dinner. We went back to the hotel, and spent some time in the hot tub on the roof. We played several games including a  race to see who was faster at jumping out of the hot tub and jumping into the pool. Swimming across and back again then jumping back in the hot tub. I believe Jared won, and I lost. I was a really fun Christmas, and one like I have never had.  I am normally one for staying at home with family for Christmas, I do have to say though, that I’m glad we did it.  It was an experience, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling of having an entire hotel to yourselves. It did seem that the all of the people that were around for the next couple of days made up for our one night of solitude.  We’ve now talked about going maybe the weekend before Christmas in hopes that it may be less crowded. None the less we had a memorable Christmas in ‘09.

We left San Antonio early Sunday morning heading back to DFW to make it to my cousins house for our annual family Christmas get-together. We were a little late, but we did make it.

My cousin Natalie and her little boy, JW.  He was born eight days before Colin.

 

Jackson eating a cookie with Ma-maw, his great- grandmother.

Jackson is admiring a new truck.

Colin, going through his stocking(bag) goodies.

 

Jackson with his beautiful cousin Bayleigh.

Here are the guys, scheming about how to get the gifts they want.

I told Jared to take pictures while we opened presents, and this is what he did.  I have about ten pictures that look like this.

That evening when we got home, we still had a few larger gifts that needed to be opened. We couldn’t take them to San Antonio with us, so thought we’d just have a little family Christmas at home when we got back.

Here’s Jared opening his shop-vac.

Colin pulling all of my tinsel off the tree.

Jackson with the Dinosaur Dig Game.

Jackson’s helping Jared open his table saw.

As crazy as it seemed our Christmas would be, it didn’t feel that way at all. I think we all enjoyed our Holiday festivities, and had a good time.  I have to say, that I was a little glad it was all over though.  I had felt that with us moving right before Christmas, I wasn’t really feeling like I was getting all of the normal, fun, Christmasy, stuff in that we are all used to doing ever year.  i.e.I didn’t bake one batch of cookies this year for Christmas!  Anyway, I was really worried that I wouldn’t have the full Christmas experience this year, and I had been looking forward to the holidays in the new house, long before we had found the new house. In the end, we all had a great Christmas, and thanks to everyone that we got to enjoy it with.