Taking time to write a post while you’re out of school and off from work for three weeks is actually a lot harder than you would think. Well, for us anyway! Writing just reminded us too much of work and so, we kept putting it off. But, at some point you have to stop being lazy and just do it and so, here I am with a cup of coffee and a little bit of determination. I’m ready to “work."
First before I get going, let me say that we hope you and yours had a very merry, very blessed Christmas! We also hope that 2010 brings you plenty of happiness, good health, love, laughter and time family & friends!
Christmas. Gee. It feels so last year at this point! Well, I guess it is last year, but since I have photos that I want to share, I’m going to talk about it anyway.
A big Christmas present to my family this year was my Dad’s retirement from Northrop Grumman. Dad has worked for NGC since retiring from the Army back in 1993 and has spent the last 7 years of his career with the company in Iraq. He has had two long careers in which he has been away from home most of the time. So, Dad's retirement is a blessing to us because we get to have him here!
Dad arrived home on December 3, just in time for the holidays. But, he and Mom did not spend Christmas here; they spent it in Savannah, Ga. with my Grandma. This was the first Christmas, in 64 years, that my Grandma spent without my Grandpa who passes away back in September. It was so much more important for Mom and Dad to be with her than with us this year.
Our Christmas and New Years was filled with tons of time with Jack’s Mom and Dad as well as with my sister, Virginia and our nephew, Jason. Tons of time and tons of food! I think Mom and Dad Johnston were in the kitchen from Christmas Eve till New Years day and every meal was delicious. Thank you Mom and Dad for helping to contribute to the extra ten pounds we are surely carrying around today. We enjoyed each ounce!
~Madison and Bella on Christmas Eve morning. The night before she and I had been up till 2am baking. Somehow (and very much unlike me) I forgot to take pictures of our goodies.
On Christmas Eve Jack’s Aunt Evie came from New York and his brother Taylor, sister-in-law Lindsey and nephew, Jackson came from Houston in order to spend Christmas with his Mom and Dad. This made Jack’s Mom and Dad’s Christmas very merry! They had not seen Evie in a while and it was Jackson’s very first Christmas. What an exciting time!
We did have a few snow flurries on Christmas Eve here in Central Texas! Madi, Jack, Bella and I all ran outside to enjoy it, but it was gone just as quick as it came. It was a little disappointing to get teased like that honestly. I was able to get a few pictures of Madi standing in the flurries before they were gone...
Virginia and Jason spent the night with us on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning, Jack, Virginia and I were awakened early by two very excited children, Madi and Jason, eager to see what they had under the tree!
Santa was very good to everyone....
~Madi in her Santa hat on Christmas Morning
~Madi, Jason and Bella. Bella's wearing her Christmas gift and is not happy! She's staring over at Leo (my Mom and Dad's dog) because he got....
and she got a darned sweater!
~ This picture is a little blurry but I think Madi looks really cute in it anyway!
~Madi got Jason some Nurf Swords for Christmas - he loved them!
~ I'd say she's pretty happy!
~This is my favorite picture from Christmas! This is what life is about for me - this child, this smile, this happiness!
Jason with is new Georgia Bulldogs Jacket. Just like his Papa, he loves them dogs!
Madi's favorite gift, a pair of trendy little boots!
~Beans with her gifts and still mad that she didn't get a treat!
~Jason got his uncle Jack a Dallas Cowboy jacket and hat. Jack loves them and looks really good in them! Thanks Jason! Jason also gave me tons of awesome Alabama gear! Sorry Texas fans...Chris if you are reading this! I'll be snuggling with my Bama blanket, drinking out of my Bama Coffee mug or Bama glass and sporting my Bama cap (a gift from my father-in-law!) during the Alabama vs. Texas game! Cheering for the tide all the way! ;)
~Madi and I got Jack a Kindle ~ the perfect gift for a guy/gal who goes through a book every few days!
~our girls.
After opening gifts at our house, we went to Jack’s Mom and Dad’s to open gifts, have Christmas dinner and enjoy the opportunity to spend time with our family from out of town.
~Our nephew Jackson in the bean bag chair thingy we got him.
~I know his facial expression doesn't say "I LOVE IT" but, I think he does! Or I tell myself that anyway.
~This beauty was my gift from Mom and Dad Johnston! It's a Jill-e Designs camera bag and it is my favorite gift along with the telephoto lens (no picture of it BUT, expect to see lots of pictures taken with it!) that my Mom and Dad gave me! I love them both! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
~Johnny Dad and Madi ready to bring in the New Year thanks to Jack's Aunt Evie!
We really enjoyed our Christmas and the time spent with family.
On New Year’s Eve, Virginia and Jason came to our house to bring in the New Year. Our celebration was low key but, we had a lot of fun.
~Jack and Madi just a few seconds into the New Year!
~Thank you Gennie and Jason for spending so much of the holidays with us!
*I feel the need to note that Jason and Madison are NOT drinking a celebratory glass of champagne...they have Apple Cider in their glasses. We didn't want to leave them out of the New Year toast so we let them drink out of the same glasses we were using for our Champagne - wine glasses! Hey, we did what we had to do, Jack and I don't own Champagne glasses.
Leo didn't understand what all the excitement was about! He just wanted to sleeeep.
Thank you Aunt Evie for the awesome New Year’s accessories from Times Square in New York City! Madi felt very special and enjoyed your gift very much. She was nice enough to let us all have a turn at wearing them, even our cat, Tex!
We spent New Years day with Jack’s Mom and Dad who once again cooked a wonderful meal. Virginia and Jason came out and visited with everyone too.
The gathering place.
~ Gennie and I drinking champagne in the right glasses.
~Jack had the camera for a few minutes before I snatched it away.
~Johnny Dad and Jason did some fishing together
~Madi watching the boys fish
~Madi with her Cami
~Madi with her Aunt Gennie
~and of course there was lots of play time with Sammy!
~a rare moment - Sammy being calm!
Also Mom and Dad began their journey back home to Texas on New Years day which was their 38th wedding anniversary!! Not an ideal thing to be doing on your anniversary I’m sure, but at least they are doing it together. Congratulations Mom and Dad on 38 years! We (Melanie, Virginia and I) are so proud to say that our parents are still together after 38 years!
Mom and Dad are carrying some pretty precious cargo on their way back home from Savannah. My Grandma has finally agreed to come to Texas for a visit! We are very excited and are looking forward to seeing her tomorrow!
I know this post was really long and way over due, but if you held in there through it, thank you! We had a wonderful, relaxing (yes, relaxing), blessed, family filled Christmas and New Years. We hope you did too!
Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself.
~ Aisha Elderwyn
(I really do take pictures of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I think it drives my family crazy!)
She was making paper flowers which was a Christmas gift by Klutz from her Cami.
~ a paper flower complete except for...
a cute ladybug sticker - or "embellishment" as Madi calls it. She's already got all the crafty terms down too obviously!
