Withers Gone Wild: Christmas Edition

Sorry that poorly timed post prior to this one.  It wasn’t the internet that I was having trouble with, it was Windows Live…have yall ever seen an ‘Error 502 Bad Gateway’ pop up in WLW?  I Googled it and computer talk is basically like Chinese to me, so that was not helpful.

So like any computer-illiterate person would do, I just waited a couple of days and tried again and it worked!  So we’re back in blogging business.

How was your Christmas?  Ours was lovely, and like most holidays it was a reminder of of the copious amounts of blessings in my life.

One of our Withers traditions is going to Christmas Eve communion at the Presbyterian Church, then come back over to my in-laws to take a family picture.

This year we were doing our New Years Eve card picture and decided to do a champagne-toast theme, but that didn’t exactly go as planned.   SOMEBODY was a little cranky pants throughout our photo shoot.  I mean seriously, look at this face:

Princess Lilly was not havin’ it.  She didn’t cry, but she certainly didn’t smile either.  I think she was just mad because she couldn’t have any champagne.  Can’t say I blame her.

We finally ended up with a couple of good ones: And I thought this one was cute, with Lilly and her grandmama giving each other love.  Sweet, right: So I’ll let my mother-in-law decide since she is one sending them out.  After picture time, we all headed over to our cousin’s home, who have a big family Christmas Eve cocktail party that is always fun to see the extended family.

Christmas morning this year was special since Christmas fell on a Sunday.  The WHOLE fam joined Tom and I at our church, and enjoyed a WONDERFUL Christmas service.  I cried of course….sometimes I cry in church usually because I just love the music so much and feel overwhelmed with thankfullness!  The Spirit just moves me, I tell you what!  :)

After church we headed over to my in-law for Present City, USA.  Per tradition, we all sit around in a circle and open presents one by one.  I love making it last, and seeing what everyone else gets everyone.  Tom got some snow camo, which I’m sure he’ll get to use for approximately 4 hours per hunting season.

In preparation for the arrival of Baby Atwood in April, Lilly got lots of baby doll accessories so she can get in some good practice as a big sister.  It should also be said until these pictures were taken Lilly was dressed in her Christmas best, but demanded she put on her ‘twirl dress’ from her Grammy.  Sara Whit says she wears this dress and head band every. single. day.  This year us five kids (me, Tom, Sara Whit, Brian, and Myra) decided to draw names and I drew Myra’s name!  She asked for new tennies!!!  I love these crazy hot pink shoes! Myra and her daddy both got new shoes. New jammies and The Help for my mother-in-law….When we were done opening all the gifts there were a couple more big ones for Lilly…. A baby doll high-chair from Mamie and Boo: And a baby doll bed from LaLa and Tom Of course she loved it and high-fived Uncle Tom for her gift!  She immediately proceeded to put her babies in their respective spots…high chair, stroller, bed…her babies have got it made!  Although I did find out that none of them have names.  She’s very particular about where they all ‘sleep,’ but not big on giving them names. After present-opening we ate and ate and ate….

and then laid around for a while in a food coma.  After dinner was some fun family time and lots of silliness ensued… Myra and Lilly were the only ones with enough energy to do anything other than sit around and complain about how tight their pants were.  So they wrestled and giggled on the floor for a good hour. All in all it was a lovely Christmas in the Delta! 

As usual, I feel like I didn’t take enough pictures but I just get so caught up in having fun with family that usually the camera is the last thing on my mind.

I hope each of you had an amazing Christmas full of blessings and laughter with those close to you.

Here’s to a wonderful New Year!  Catch ya in 2012….