Christmas 2008

It is kinda sad, but after all of the anticipation and excitement, Christmas has come and gone. The Christmas tree and decor which brought such joy only a few days ago, now haunt me as I dread having to put it all away back in the attic. Experiencing Christmas as a parent only becomes more fun each year. Avery made everyone laugh when he would exclaim, "This is what I was wishing for" after EVERY present was ripped open. This would be followed by, "Can we open it"? And if the answer was "YES", the next 30 minutes would be undoubtedly spent unwinding plastic wires and tearing cardboard, followed by the search for a pocket knife, screwdriver and of course... BATTERIES! I have a new found hatred for the people that package toys. Seriously- is all of that really necessary? I think not. If there are people smart enough to make these incredible toys, there has to be someone out there to come up with an easier way to get them out of the box! Okay, sorry for the outburst! :) I must say, though, it was great to discover how helpful Avery could be this year, especially when it came to putting the wrapping paper in the trash bags and how much fun he thought that game was when we would hit him w/ the "wad" of paper! Our Christmas memories include valuable time spent with family in Fayetteville and Durham, singing the same carols over and over (and over), A candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, presents galore, yummy food (which poor Brian couldn't enjoy due to a stomach bug on the 24th and 25th), laughter, and priceless KODAK moments which I tried my best to capture, as always! I have included some of my favorites below: