Christmas Memories

Our first Christmas with Mason can be wrapped up in one phrase...paper, paper, paper. We could have wrapped up rocks and he wouldn't have know the difference. At every Christmas stop, he had that look on his face when the presents came out. You know that one, he couldn't believe that we were letting him tear, rip and throw paper all over the room.

We did Christmas in four stages over the course of a week and had a great time at everyone's house. First stop was with the Padgett family. We instituted a new tradition this year. Rather than exchange gifts with all of the family, we baked (sister-in-law Becky did all the work) and packaged cookies for distribution in care packages. It was a great way to be of service with little effort. And a great reminder to share the love and joy with others, not just focusing on ourselves. But being his first Christmas, the family couldn't resist sharing a few presents with Mason.


We opted for a quiet Christmas eve and morning. I figured I'd grease the wheels with Santa and baked some chocolate chip cookies. Mason even joined in the fun, helping to pick out some cookies and surveying the cookie plate. Please notice the taste-tester in the picture...mind you he grabbed the cookie of his own choosing, and liked it.


And then Christmas morning came and the paper fun continued. He and his daddy were so proud of his new boots. Dad likes to call them Mason's new snake-boots but mom is not real sure about that.


Then it was off to Clifton & Amy's for Christmas lunch with mom & the Hindes family. Mason, Layton and Cooper (Amy's nephew) really put the season in perspective for all of us. It is a season of love and joy.


We concluded the Christmas tour the Sunday after Christmas with a lunch at Dad and Leigh's house. JP was hunting with all of the Padgett boys (minus Mason) and had to miss the festivities. We enjoyed our lunch, had a "little" bonfire (you had to be there) and then let the boys rip open more presents. Those boys are professional present unwrappers. The kids played for hours and did a lot of giggling back and forth with each other.


Great Christmas memories for 2009!!