CHRISTMAS 2008.

Cascade has to be one of THE most beautiful places to celebrate Christmas and I absolutely LOVE going home for the holidays!  Every year when the winter season arrives with all of its snow and misery, I seriously contemplate hibernation--but not until AFTER Christmas!  Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas if I wasn't backed up to the familiar fire at Mom and Dad's, watching the snow fall from the sky, eight or more inches at a time!  Although a warm, tropical Christmas (complete with decorated palm trees) sounds absolutely delightful in theory,  I am pretty attached to my even MORE wonderful WHITE Christmas in the mountains!  Mom truly decorates her house to the hilt with twinkly lights and all things red and green!  She provides the most spectacular feasts and makes sure there is always a delightful assortment of sugar to course through our veins!  Over the past couple of years, as our family has adjusted to inevitable changes, we have made an effort to discuss our Christmas traditions.  While there are traditions we whole-heartedly honor (and a few we have let fade into oblivion) we have also attempted to introduce new traditions! 

The following photos are some of my favorite traditional scenes from Christmas 2008!

THE DRIVE THROUGH THE CANYON.

my beautiful babies were so well behaved on the drive up this year!

WATCHING NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION.

my ultimate favorite christmas movie of all time!

  

THE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS EVE PUZZLE.

this year just just mom, dad and i put the puzzle together.

i loooove puzzles!

  

WATCHING A CHRISTMAS STORY.

i really hate this christmas movie but it is dad's favorite!

this year our puzzle was the leg lamp from a christmas story

so we watched the movie while we put it together!

THE FIREPLACE.

this year i realized how cool it is that our stockings get to be hung on an actual fireplace!

(and better yet, it is a fireplace my daddy built himself!)

PLENTY OF FREE TIME!

(speaking of my daddy . . .)

i love just getting to hang out with my family!

 we get kinda silly when we are locked up indoors together though!

SANTA GIFTS!

this year santa left us a VERY cool new sled!

  

we are very excited to try it out!

OPENING STOCKINGS!

we always do this very first on christmas morning . . .

 and we ALL love opening the goodies in our socks!

  

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

traditionally gift-opening time!

mom gave me a battery grip for my camera--LOVING IT!

and dad gave me a HOTTIE!  bad guys beware!

i can't wait to adventure now that i'm armed with a very cool 

camera accessory and a hot little weapon!

of course i had to actually fire the hottie and i can safely say

jackson is definitely NOT fond of my new stun gun!  

just the sound of it scares the . . . well you can see for yourself what it does to him!

the poor old man was freaked out for hours!

TERRIFIC GIFT IDEAS!

dad bought mom a huckleberry rake.

mom bought dad a huckleberry rake!

tess can't wait to borrow at least one of them!

RED ALERT ADVENTURE COMPANY.

last year the red alert adventure company was officially founded

and now i give dad a red alert adventure company gift every year.

this year, a pack of adventures!  but beware--adventures can be addictive!

THE SNOW!

and watching dad move that stuff around so all of the guest can arrive!

WAITING FOR THE KIDS!

christmas is so much better now that i have nieces and nephews

and all of us EAGERLY await their arrival!

THE UTTER CHAOS!

i love that my parents let the kids open their presents right away!

the paper begins to fly minutes after they walk through the door!

lo and dan

claire is at such a terrificly fun age!

SUPER SWEET SURPRISES!

laura and danny gave me a pair of keens i have been wanting all season!

and wrote me this note to go with them . . .

YOU HAVE THE SPIRIT OF A TURE ADVENTURER, 

KNOWING A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS EACH DAY.

THE HARDEST PART IS THAT FIRST STEP OUT THE DOOR.

MAY GOD GUIDE YOU AND CUSHION YOU IN EVERY STEP YOU TAKE.

HERE'S TO LIFE'S JOURNEYS!

ADVENTURE ON, SIS!

WE LOVE YOU!

and it is signed by all of them (even claire!)

i love their note so much, i'm going to frame it!

PLAYING WITH EVERYONE ELSE'S GIFTS!

danny got this but we all enjoyed it . . .

even laura!

(it was only filled with water--darn it!)

  

nana and papa gave the grandkids a wii--and we ALL enjoyed that too!

nana and papa might need a wii too!

SPENDING INDIVIDUAL TIME WITH THE KIDS.

i love that claire loves to be read to!

PURE EXHAUSTION!

she never did succumb to a nap though!

  

THE FEAST!

mom always feeds us SO well!

this year we had FONDUE!  sooooo yummy!

EARLY CELEBRATIONS!

i always get to celebrate christmas early with the mcnamaras.

this year jackson and sadie put on their christmas finest for the celebration!

the mcnamaras rarely get to see my dogs and they were pretty excited!

especially isaac!

WHAT A TRULY MERRY CHRISTMAS!