Christmas Whirlwind!

It was fun... it was crazy... I got sick... it was worth it! With one more week of vacation, I'm recovering my health nicely and enjoying the beautiful weather. Here's our Christmas 2011 Photo Album!

After the Barnes family drove straight through from Denver, Garrett and Wyatt took some time to investigate the whole house. This sink was interesting... and Garrett noticed that it had a water overflow system.

They found my license plate collection right off the bat!

Christmas Eve at the Stevens' house was lovely. Here's our little shepherd-baby tableau... very nice.

Heather read the Christmas story to the kids, using the wooden pieces of the nativity to emphasize the story, and the kids really listened.

The guys had a good time...

Christmas morning was filled with presents!

Chris and Gretchen, Anders and Lars spent two nights at the Radisson in Uptown, so they were on hand bright and early and were able to stay all day! What a great idea. Thanks to Chris's mom Eloise and Dick Ritter for making that possible.

I think David was having fun...

Ohhhh, a little push bike for Wyatt! Jim and Erin got it in Denver and brought it out, letting us give it to him! He really likes having his own bike. They also brought Garrett's bike so the two boys could ride around together.

Garrett and Anders enjoyed playing together this year.

Jim gave me the best "invisible" gift this year... he brought boxes of his company's Stretch caulk and filled that unsightly uneven gap around our living room ceiling! No one will ever notice this gift, but that's just how it should be... finally invisible! after all these years.

Cox Christmas on the 26th was a success as many of us gathered at Joy Hall. People came in from all over the country. It's good to keep connected! Three of the girls are pregnant with boys, all due the first week of May! This group seems to excel in producing boys...

David's mom still loves to open Christmas gifts. She enjoyed being together with everyone.

On December 27th we had a wonderful visit from Erin's long-time friends Anna Martini and Jonalyn Fincher. It's just wonderful to see them and their families when they're in town for Christmas!

Erin and Jim got away for a couple of nights after Christmas and we had our own little Camp Grandma for Garrett and Wyatt. One of the days was a beach day...

...where the boys learned about waves and having the water come up and tickle you, and also about being careful.

We had pancakes at Harry's Grill afterwards.

One of the days was a play day at the new church playground created by Philip and Abby...

 ...with lunch afterwards at McDonald's...

and on the last day I met Jim and Erin at Disneyland with the boys! It was gorgeous weather and we had a wonderful time. It was the boys' first visit to Disneyland and they had lots of fun.

 I was powering through a cold but all my self-help efforts finally didn't do the trick and the day after Disneyland I went to the doctor. I had developed a sinus infection and asthma-like lungs! Ooops!

I'm just glad I got to go to Disneyland and do everything else before I was down and out.

The Storybook ride is always a nice one. The kids really did enjoy everything, and so did the adults!

I went into full rest mode, taking Prednisone for my lungs and amoxicillin for my sinuses, but even still it was fun to have GG, Anders and Lars come over on January 2 to watch the Rose Parade and have one last visit with Erin and family. The boys were such little workers, digging up a whole section next to the fence. It was cute to see their little man-like swagger as they slaved away. GG, Erin and I just sat around out in the sun watching and talking. We had so much leftover food I didn't give the meals a thought. Some quick sweeping put the dirt back where it belonged after all the work was done.

I also had a blissful time holding Lars, who was just as relaxed as any baby could be. Ahhhh...

Oh... it's been good. No one caught my cold and I think next year we'll try to figure out ways to do less. I don't know how though, since everything we did was what we WANTED to do, but the sum total, coming off of my very busiest time of the year at work, was just too much of a good thing. Maybe I need to take a lesson from little Lars here and just let go... relax... and BE.

With one more week before I go back to work I'm looking forward to vegging out, reading and getting well. I wish you a Happy New Year as we all look expectantly to see what the Lord has in store for us in 2012.