Hello 2011!

Well, another year has come and gone.  I guess time flies when your having fun!  We had a wonderful and action-packed Christmas.  We enjoyed a slow week at home with Jacob being off work.  On Christmas day, we all hit the ground running.  We had to wake Brenna to kick off Christmas and in her sleepy state her only concern was whether Santa had eaten all the cookies.  Only after we closely evaluated that he did indeed consume both the cookies and the milk "He must have been hungry, Mama!" did we moved on to gifts.  Once we made our way through the pile, Brenna began to play, while I began unpackaging toys and putting together our new Toy Story tent and Jacob went outside to jerk down (literally) all the outdoor Christmas decorations.  Within 2 hours everyone and everything was crammed into the car and we were headed to the airport!

A one hour flight and a 3 hour drive later, we pulled into Jason and Jessica's just in time for Christmas Dinner with the family!  After 2nd helpings, the family congregated in the living room to open presents.  Of course, the girls had a great time!   Wrapping paper flew, kids laughed, and I sat enjoying the moment and thinking "Hmm....so many gifts and so few suit cases."  Thanks everyone for all the great stuff.  We loved all of it, Brenna especially!  And speaking for myself, nothing makes me happier at the end of a long day than a nice warm pair of pjs!  I can only hope Jason enjoys his Texas Cow Patty fudge that Jacob gave him just as much.  I was disappointed when I looked back and realized that in my food induced daze I forgot to take pictures of all the family.  As usually, the kids took center stage and everyone else was forgotten.  Oh well, there's always next year.

We spent the next few days visiting, eating, playing with the kids, eating, enjoying the Starry Nights Christmas display, and eating.  Eventually, a pattern emerged (besides the eating).  Everyday, Sugar would sit on her perch on the back of the couch and watch as the girls played whatever fancied them in that moment.

Coloring in the kitchen floor

Ring Around the Rosey - This one was a favorite!

We all fall down!

Ella's acrobatic talents!

This should be a commercial for Apple!  Leah is playing with Jessica's iphone, while Ella teaches Brenna to play tic tac toe on my iphone.  A 22-month, 3.5 and 5.5 year old all entranced by the marvels of modern technology.  

"Cheese" - In case you haven't noticed, Leah is a shoe in for most photogenic!  Every time she sees a camera pointed her way, her face lights up and her lips pull back into a toothy grin!

Leah was usually the first to give in to naptime.

The kids had a blast during our stay with the other McAlister twin.  But our journey still wasn't done, and after some sad goodbyes between the girls, we packed-up and moved on to Jacob's parents.  For Brenna, a week isn't complete unless you've made a visit to the playground, and now with no Ella and Leah to distract her, she voiced her needed to seek one out.  Of course, Mimi obliged.  So despite the cold weather and misty rain, we managed alittle outdoor fun.  Needless to say, we had the playground all to ourselves.

But, our Christmas still wasn't over.  After some time with his parents, we packed up again and headed south.  Mom and Dad met us in Jackson, where we dropped off the rental car and headed home to Dexter.  When we got home we had our 3rd Christmas in week with the Jerry's.  Brenna was in awe of Mawmaw Christmas decorations.  Once again when I looked back, I wish I had taken more pictures of them all.  I kept thinking I would do it later, but the time seemed to pass so quickly.  I enjoyed that she put up her Christmas village this year.  It hasn't made an appearance in a couple of years.  It's a 5 tier wonderland with the village chapel at the top of the hill.

Me and Jacob snuck away to Hattisburg for a date on Friday and caught a movie.  Then that night we enjoyed a dinner out with Mawmaw and Pawpaw and caught the last night of Christmas in the Park.  Before we knew it, we were packing up the car the next morning for our trip back home.  In case you were at the Jackson Airport on New Years Day, I was the crazy lady with all her stuff spread out in the parking garage trying to fit 5 suit cases worth of stuff into 3.  My biggest suit case just squeezed by at 49.5 lbs!

Now we're home, the clothes are all unpacked and washed and the Christmas decoration are put away for another year.  I guess at the close of a year its only natural to look back.  And when I look back, I see so much to be thankful for.  This year was about alot of "understanding" for me. I guess time and age really do bring about "understanding" of certain things.   I found myself seeing some things differently than I ever have before and finally "understanding".  I know right now alot of you are probably reading this and not really "understanding" what the heck I'm talking about.  Just trust me when I say, I may not look smarter, but I'm definitely wiser!

Happy New Year Everyone!