CHRISTMAS 2011

Our Christmas celebration began the Tuesday before Christmas (December 20th). Gary and I met Brent, Bennett and Anna Claire in Eufaula at Brent's cabin. Our travel trailer is parked next to the cabin. On Wednesday morning Gary and Brent went hunting. After a day of duck hunting Brent drove back home to Norman and Gary and I left with the kids for our house in Rogers.

Bennett woke up at 6:00 a.m. the first morning. He loves to bake so I had him helping me with the Christmas baking.

On the way home Gary told them they could open one present. By the time Christmas Eve was here they had opened one present a day. I wish I had planned for this. One night Anna Claire opened a gift that was a Barbie doll with some little dogs. Bennett got a watch. He was obviously disappointed. He looked at it and said "Ma, can I open ANOTHER one." Well, I let him but he was equally disappointed with his other one. Gary and I felt so bad. I will plan better next year.

Anna Claire and I had so much fun with this silly elf. The elf kept showing up in all kinds of places. We played a game constantly....Ma would hide the elf. Anna Claire would find it and then she would hide the elf. Her hiding places were a little better than mine.

Gary (Granddad) and Bennett got out one afternoon to go to Academy Sports. I asked Bennett what they were going to do at Academy Sports. He replied "Oh, look at toys."

Granddad took the kids to go see the new Chipmunk movie.

Our Christmas Card for 2011. 

Uncle Shane and Sutton Jack Orr.  

Uncle Shane and Aunt Jess with Sutton. Sutton really favored Jess over anyone. When he would start crying we would just hand him over to Aunt Jess.

Most of the gifts under the tree, but not all. The name tags for all the gifts have a picture of the gift recipient. 

For breakfast each morning they had waffles and fruit with a glass of chocolate milk. Christmas Eve morning they made face pancakes. Bennett asked me "Ma, now where did I eat face pancakes? Was it Hobby Lobby?" I said "No, Bennett. It's IHop." "Oh yeah, Ma, I keep forgetting."

Bennett waiting for us (Ma and Granddad) to get the face pancake stuff ready.

Betsy (Ma) with Sutton. 

Anna Claire, Betsy (Ma), and Sutton. 

Gary's family came over to eat on Christmas Eve. Here we have Jess, Shane, Sutton, Brent, Jessica holding Bennett, Gary, Dave and Kaye Walters, Memaw and Papaw, Brandon Walters and his family, Betsy (Ma) with Anna Claire.

 Shane and Jess Orr.

Bennett (not wanting his picture taken), Brent holding Sutton, Jessica with Anna Claire, Gary (Granddad), Betsy (Ma), Jess and Shane.

Now, the fun begins. We can not open gifts until Anna Claire and Bennett hand deliver each gift to the recipient. No reading of name tags is required. All they have to do is look at the picture and take it to the appropriate person. I heard Anna Claire say "I've been waiting all year for this!"

Bennett only got his presents and put them in a pile in the den. I asked him to give everyone else their present. He responded "Why?"

 

 Shane got a Garmin GPS and a few other things.

 Jess got a Forerunner watch and a few other things.

 

 Brent got a gun and a few other things.

 Jessica had a "makeup" Bobbie Brown Christmas! Her favorite!

 

This is the yard sign that both Jessica and Jess received.

 Anna Claire with her pearl necklace and pearl bracelet.

 Gary with his Mint Julep from Kentucky!

 The last gift of all! Bikes!

I love night time with the kids. It begins this way: Bennett whispers "Ma, can we have movie night?" As if we never have movie night. When do we not? I reply "Sure." Anna Claire, Bennett and me crawl in bed around 7:30 p.m. and we find a children's movie or cartoon and lay in bed. We watched "It's a Charlie Brown Christmas." They love the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Bennett wraps one arm all around me and says "I'm gonna sleep like this all night." Anna Claire lays her head on my chest and puts an arm around me and says "Ma, I'm gonna sleep like this all night." Ma can't move or breathe! I wouldn't have it any other way. Two hours later Bennett is sleeping vertical and his head is hanging off the bed. Anna Claire is so far under the covers I fear she will suffocate. I stay up all night making sure Anna Claire can still breathe and Bennett doesn't fall off the bed. I'm smiling the whole time.

Monday we (Brent and family, Shane and Jess, Gary and me) took AQ Chicken lunch to Memaw and Papaw (Gary's parents). They are well into their 80's and 90's. Bennett asked me "Ma, how do people get old." Brent heard him and told him they get old just by living. Bennett said "I don't want to get old."

It's a wonderful Christmas when family is all under the same roof. Every year I say "This is the best Christmas ever." Well, this year, it was. We didn't have the threat of Shane having to be deployed (last year he was deployed), no one got sick, Gary's parents are still in relatively good health as mine are too. We are so very blessed.

And now, the countdown begins for half of my precious family to move to India for a semester. In the meantime, I will enjoy just sitting here listening to my youngest son and husband have a nice conversation. My daughter in law is still upstairs but she will be down soon. I treasure any time I can just be in the same room with my children and their family.