What I Want to Remember from Christmas 2011

1. I had all 4 of my grandparents under one roof for Christmas Eve.
2. On Christmas Morning the big girls were more excited about the gifts they were giving than the gifts they were getting, and insisted that Tony and I open our gifts first.
3. Allison's excitement over each item in her stocking and as she took out each one she had to come show us.
4. The candlelight singing of Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service, especially to watch my growing up Megan holding her candle next to her great grandma and grandpa.
5. A quiet moment in the middle of Christmas Day with Allison napping, Tony reading the book I got him for his birthday, and the big girls playing with their gifts and each other. (While mommy blogs before I crack open my new Karen Kingsbury book from Santa.)
6. The excited look on M & E's faces as they came to the landing on the stairs to ask if it was ok to come down on Christmas morning (in their matching nightgowns).
7. Grammy showing up with a box full of gifts even though she said she wasn't shopping this year. She just couldn't help herself on December 23rd.
8. Holding my baby niece during the Christmas Eve service during her first Christmas.
9. Watching my uncle play "This is the way the ladies ride" with my girls, just like he did with me many, many years ago.
10. Seeing Tony's cunningness to get the gift he wanted in the family gift exchange game.
11. Giving up the gift I wanted so that I could get the gift Emily wanted in the family gift exchange game.
12. Trying to hide the PG-13 name of the perfume Tony got me so that the girls couldn't read it and ask about it. (I'll give you a hint. It's from Estee Lauder.)
13. That M & E truly appreciated the gifts of their quilts from Amma and understood the work that a gift like that entailed. They loved them so much, that even in their sleepy state after driving home that night, it was the gift that they both asked for once we got home because they wanted to sleep with them.
14. That I spent Christmas Day wearing a necklace that Emily made me from her bead kit and ornament earrings that Megan bought with her own money from the Girl Scout Bazaar, and even chose my Christmas Day outfit around my new jewelry.
15. Uncle Tom and Aunt Laura's homemade spaghetti and meatballs on Christmas Day using Grandma K's recipe.
16. Allison's excitment as we looked at Christmas lights on our drive home at the end of the night.
17. Megan playing "Joy to the World" on the piano as we all sang along.