Another digital greeting by Smilebox

It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

I want to feel more like this




But somehow, I feel more like this

Thanks for the laugh and the cracked rib reminder. Come on, Christmas, I might be ready now : )

Visit with Santa

In the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I almost forgot to post Alyssa's visit with Santa. She asked Santa for a real puppy. Sadly, Santa could not deliver this wish. She noticed! Regardless, she's still a believer and was amazed that Santa even had wrapping paper just like ours to wrap her gifts in. Oh, to be an innocent child again!

Folly Beach Christmas

Whew, the last Christmas post, I think! Eya and Poppy stayed at Folly Beach for Christmas. A photo of the lovely couple in front of their hotel. Alyssa sneaked into the picture before the photographer was ready so that is her pink hood. It was quite chilly at the Beach, which did not stop the surfers!

The girls on the Folly Beach Pier with that wind-blown look :)

Alyssa is like her Momma and just has to touch the water whenever she comes to the beach, so even this day was no exception. Alyssa dancin' a jig.

The cold didn't stop the surfers - Merry Christmas from the Beach!

County Park Lights

On Christmas Evening we went to see the James Island County Park Festival of Lights. We were fortunate to see a beautiful sunset along with the lights.

This year we rode the Train for the first time.

Then, of course, it's Marshmallow roasting time.

Alyssa took this one of the adults - Merry Christmas Y'all!

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning started earlier than it ever has before - 1:45 a.m. Alyssa was so excited that Santa had left his gifts and filled the stockings she could not go back to sleep. So into bed with Momma and we played the "Math" game until we finally drifted back to sleep. Momma doesn't fare well on only three hours sleep! However we really enjoyed Christmas Day, good food, good company and too many toys to play with.

Alyssa's first present - the only one she was allowed to open before Eya and Poppy came over from their hotel. The Whoopsie Doo Baby Doll - it pees and poops - ugh!

The photographer opening his ONLY present - an electric screwdriver. His/our other present was an updated TV - it is very nice, a real Man's man gift! I still can't work it very well - ha!

Alyssa opening one of her favorite Santa presents - Lulu the cat that purrs and meows. She loved it until it ran out of batteries, it really uses them up!

Santa also brought Alyssa some pretty new Roller Skates. She has been practicing around the house, one foot at the time. Hopefully she will not break her neck and we will take her skating soon!

Christmas Eve Pictures

Christmas Eve Tradition - photos under the Christmas Tree while everyone is still dressed up from Church. The Ellisons - We missed you Brad, AA and Holt!

PEACE!

Not sure what this is about?

Sweet girl with her Poppy.

Christmas Pageant

Alyssa played the part of an Angel in the Christmas Pageant at our Church on Christmas Eve.

My inside pictures had a lot of red eye, but this one shows most of the group practicing. This is the Cherub Choir ages three and up and the Elementary Choir that starts in the first grade. Elisha and Julie have a special place in heaven for working with these kids!

Alyssa did a great job and loved having her Eya and Poppy there to see her sing!

A family shot post-performance. We love our "Angel!"

Christmas Excitement

Another new thing we tried this year was attending the Charleston Chamber Orchestra Kids Concert on Wednesday. They played lots of sing along songs and told Christmas Stories. The presentation ended with cookies, punch and a balloon for all - we thought it was a great experience and hope to go again next year!

Alyssa made a special friend and had front row seats for the singing of Frosty the Snowman.

Alyssa kept getting in the washer - I called it Christmas excitement. I kept trying to get her out but Drew encouraged it - whatever! This is Wednesday and Christmas comes on Friday - this girl can hardly contain herself!

Alyssa took this one of Drew - the Andersons, always in their pajamas!

Christmas Cookies for Santa

Since we were not travelling for Christmas this year (YIPPEE!!!) we had time to start some Christmas traditions of our own. One we borrowed from my Mom is making Christmas Cookies for Santa. This was an ALL day project - making the dough, letting it chill, cutting the cookies, decorating the cookies and EATING the cookies! Alyssa told me around 3:00 p.m. that she needed a break, I had worn her out! I won, I won - the first day of Alyssa's FIRST Christmas break and I had won! : )

We had a lot of fun together and the cookies turned out pretty well, most of them, we even left a few for Santa and he liked them too!

A few of the first ones got a little burned on the edges - nothing some blue frosting wouldn't fix!

YUM!

Santee Christmas

Our Christmas celebrations started this year in Santee, SC with a gathering of Drew's Mom's family. With three photographers in the family now we have LOTS of pictures to share for Christmas - hope you don't get bored, we tried to break it up as best we could! Above Aunt Lisa and Alyssa trying to get Miller to smile at the camera - he is more interested in Ho, ho!

Great, Great Aunt Lynda, Alyssa and Granny Lynda trying to solve the money puzzle game. Alyssa finally solved it Christmas Eve!

Great Aunt Missy and Kim cheesing it up for the camera.

The whole gang! Uncle Jim and Aunt Missy, Kim, Drew and Alyssa, Clay, Lisa and Miller with Uncle Chevy, Granny and Aunt Lynda. We all had a great time, good food and made some new memories!

The Sounds of Christmas

This morning we were serenaded by more than a hundred Kindergartners. Their program was great; they could really sing loud and all were dressed in their Christmas finest. Alyssa is hard to see, but she is on the second row, second from the right, on the right side of the stage.

They did quite a few songs and used various props.

Miss Charming up closer with her gift she made for us.

The hand prints always get me and I found myself misty-eyed. A gift we will always treasure. We'll be using it for Santa's cookies this year!

We wish you and your families the BEST Christmas ever!

Silly, Fun and Love

It's that time of year when you need to just get SILLY, have some FUN and share LOVE!

Alyssa with her pink hair having a Silly String firght with her Dada in the front yard.

Alyssa enjoying the Charleston Christmas Parade with the neighbor boys. How do you get five children to look at the camera at the same time - FUN was had by all!

Sharing LOVE - my two favorite girls!

Too Much Christmas!

Here are some more photos of Christmas 2008. As my grandmother, Mrs. Gennie, used to say we definitely had "too much Christmas!" We traveled this year and had 3 Christmases but we all feel it was one of our BEST Christmases ever. We want to thank our families for all they did to make this Christmas so special. I think I finally understand "too much Christmas!"

Christmas III

We arrived in Irmo, SC at Clay, Lisa and Miller's for Christmas III about 1:30 p.m. I regret that this is the only photo I took but it shows Granny, or "Santa" and Lisa who cleaned house and set this beautiful table while having 2 or 3 Christmases with her family in between our visit. We heated the food that was carried on the sleigh, opened presents while everything warmed up and then had a wonderful meal. We had almost as many desserts as we had meat and veggies but we were so stuffed, dessert came later. I wish I had photos of the t-shirt dividing game, but it too was captured on video, as were most of the highlights of our visit in Irmo. I think the photographer was a little tired! Definitely too much Christmas!

Christmas II

We arrived in Morganton, NC at Eya and Poppy's for Christmas II on Saturday afternoon the 20th and stayed until Thursday, Christmas Day. On Tuesday, we ventured up to Jonas Ridge, about a thirty minute trip, so Alyssa could experience snow and tubing. Seeing the excitement on her face as we raced downhill in our tubes was one of my BEST Christmas presents ever! Alyssa was my little sleep magnet in Morganton. No matter where I slept, she was snuggled up right beside me. It was sweet but made for several nights of poor sleeping for me. We had lots of home cookin' and checked out a few restaurants. Our BEST meal was on Christmas Eve after the candlelight service when we had a special treat - LOBSTER! We had to wake Alyssa up at 8:30 Christmas morning to open presents. Alyssa had asked 2 Santas for "tethascopes" and she received 3 stethoscopes at Eya and Poppy's. We had chocolate cake for breakfast (thanks Kathy!) and had the sleigh loaded up again by 10:30 on our way back south for Christmas III. Definitely too much Christmas!

Eya, chief cook and finest hostess around, chatting with her prey - "Is it me, or is it HOT in here?!?"

A family photo session after church - Alyssa refused to pose with us, so here she is with the junior Ellisons, Brad, Holt, AA and Alyssa, kids?!?

Add Eya and Poppy and Alyssa making a face!

A pre-supper shot of my favorite Christmas Decoration of Eya's - glass Christmas trees, candles and snow - so sparkly!

Poppy after opening hedge trimmers - he actually looks pretty excited about this! Eya works him pretty hard in his retirement!

Alison reading "the book" the one we can't even talk about without crying. Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury, mother of 6, who dedicates it as "a treasure for anyone who has ever loved a child." My favorite lines: "Silly, scattered images will represent your past. I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your lasts . . ." Get it, a MUST read, you won't regret it!

Alyssa and Holt opening their Doctor dress up clothes. Alyssa later said to me, "Poppy wants everyone to be a doctor, we gotta keep our eye on him!" At this Christmas, even after receiving 3 stethoscopes, Alyssa does not want to be a doctor, she wants to be an astronaut. And we're OFF . . .