The Christmas Season

We very much missed being with family this holiday season, but we had a wonderful Christmas with just the four of us. We started new traditions and made fun memories together. Here I am trying to type this nice post about Christmas, but every time I stop looking at Greta she whines at me. Come on, kid, give me two minutes to record your first Christmas on the world wide web. 

Anyway, here's our family room aglow with holiday spirit.   I will really miss our tree.

Most evenings were spent goofing around the family room with the "fireplace" roaring in the background.

And our days were so lazy that I was likely to still be wearing my pajamas at three in the afternoon. 

If we were lucky, Greta took long naps and Jones and I made (and modeled) crafts. 

Once dad finished acing every exam and paper thrown his way, we headed to the mall to subject ourselves to the torture of Christmas shopping. 

Greta got pumped about Christmas Eve.

Santa stopped by for a visit.  However, if you ask Jones if Santa came to his house he'll somberly reply, "Not yet."  Really, Jones?  You have a dozen new toys to prove otherwise.

On Christmas day, after waffles, bacon, presents (all of which I forgot to photograph) and playing, we gussied ourselves up for church where we sang beautiful Christmas hymns.  

A few hours later, we packed up and headed to Janesville to party with the Williams'.  Greta was all smile and naps on the way down, but wound up fighting with a fever for 3 days. 

Her disdain for our trip to the Janesville mall is clear.  She'd rather be lying on mom and crying for hours on end.

Jones' experience was quite different.  It was a 24-7 party with Henry.

We love the Williams family and hope they will welcome us back into their house again, despite two terrible Greta experiences in 2011.  Oh, did I mention the talent show we put on Christmas night?  The talents on display were mostly pathetic and embarrassing, but it was a delight.