Life's Greatest Blessings: Ho-ho-ho!

Merry Christmas! Wow, what a FUN year this was! Caleb is at a really fun age where he is really interacting and understanding so much more. We started off our Christmas season this year by having Christmas with Aunt Kelee, Uncle Chad, Luke, and Mallory. The Payton family spends Christmas together in Colorado every year so the Lueckemeyers celebrate Christmas a little early with them. We loved getting to see their new home and Caleb loved all the land he could roam around on (and Mallory and Luke's toys too)! Caleb got some new Mega-Bloks and a Mega-Bloks dump truck, some new books, and some cute new clothes, Kyle got a new grilling thermometer, wrenches, and money, Aliceson got a Scentsy set-up, cupcake holder, and money! Thanks for having us!

Cousins Caleb, Luke, and Mallory

Caleb's loving playing in Luke's cozy coupe!

the dogs came out to play and three monkeys went in . . .

Aunt Kelee and Uncle Chad picked out this super adorable hat for Caleb. He doesn't agree . . .

Being silly, as usual!

We then attended Christmas Eve services at our church. Nana and Papa Lueckemeyer came to join us in worship. Caleb did spend this year's services in the nursery playing but we don't think he minded. :) For Christmas Eve our church does some special music selections with a 50 piece orchestra, huge choir, pipe organ, and solo by fellow Trinity member, Lyle Lovett. There are usually over 1,000 people in attendance so I love to sit close to the front so I can hear all of the voices singing over me! One of my favorite times of the church year!! :)

Playing with his fire truck and the new Mega Bloks from Nana and Papa.

We woke up on Christmas morning, put the homemade pecan raisin cinnamon rolls Aliceson made into the oven, and let Caleb open one gift. This gift was his first toddler Bible. We then found the pages talking about Christ's birth and read it to him. He also got to open the last door on our Advent calendar where we had hidden the baby Jesus figurine from his little nativity set. Soon after we ate breakfast we opened the rest of our gifts and peeked in our stockings. Caleb got a new tool set, a broom, some food, books, a stuffed Mickey Mouse, and a few other little things from us. Kyle got a new set of pliers and some underwear (hehe). Aliceson got a pair of James Avery earrings.

His first look at the presents under the tree. He's especially excited about the large Elmo bag!

Kyle had to make the nativity scene more true to the story on Christmas Eve night by putting Mary in the right position and removing the wise men. hahaha!

opening his first present, a toddler story Bible

Daddy is reading about Christ's birth. Caleb loved the "baby, baby, baby"!

Mommy needed to read it to him too!

Finding baby Jesus in the last door on our Advent calendar!

Soooo excited for "Mememow" (Mickey Mouse)!!

wonder what's in this box??

Play food!!! He goes right for the DQ dipped cone! Mommy's reminding him that bananas make a better choice! :)

Enjoying some of the goodies from his stocking.

Soon after we had finished our Christmas traditions with just the three of us, we got on the road and headed to Brenham. We had lunch with the Lueckemeyers and Kiekes at Uncle Larry and Aunt Judy's home. Aunt Judy made some delicious spaghetti that Caleb chowed down on! Thanks for having us all over, you guys! We then went to Mimi and PawPaw Niemeyer's home and had Christmas with them, cousins Tristan and Nicholas, neighbors Janice, Lexi, Mary, and Leann, Uncle Grady, Uncle Sigmund, Great-Grandma, and Great-Grandpa Frank. As is our Christmas tradition with this side of the family, we all got lottery tickets in our stockings. Nobody hit the big bucks but it was fun trying to figure out what to scratch off and how to read those things. Why must they make them so complicated?? :) We then had a wonderful dinner of Great-Grandma's Turkey Chili (even published in the Taste of Home cookbook!), Dad's beef stew, rice, cornbread, and TONS of sweets! Caleb particularly loved PawPaw's stew and Great-Grandma's cherry cheesecake! We hung around and visited for a couple of days before heading back to The Woods. We're home now and looking forward to what lies ahead in 2011!!