Christmas at Granny's (the 26th)

The day after Christmas we hit the road and headed up to Charlottesville to visit the Herndon Clan. We arrived around 3 o'clock and after a quick stop at Granny's, we went straight over to finally see Sarah and Raph's new place at Woodberry and baby Sophia's adorable nursery.

Sophia is so sweet and adorable!Adam holding his new baby cousin...she fell asleep on him...SO CUTE!My turn! Ahhh!! She makes any photo adorable! Someday we'll have one of those...but not just yet so don't get any ideas:)

Then it was back over to Granny's for dinner and a hard core game of Naughty Santa.

Dinner time...Granny made fried oysters, corn pudding, ham, homemade mac-and-cheese and amazing pies! The chocolate pie was amazing and ran out before everyone was able to get a piece, which especially dissappointed Uncle Mark who was teased over it the remainder of the night.Herndon Cousins...at Thanksgiving we had everyone together minus Brian and Jami. This time we were missing Evan and Amy cause they were working, but we did have Brian and Jami. Maybe we could photo-shot the pictures together.

Granny and her boysThe sons and their wives

Time to play Naughty Santa!

The gifts...Eve playing the Naughty Santa and running the game...Everyone playing...there were a few steals from Granny and a couple from Owen...last years least coveted gift came back, a grey jump suit, and was actually desired this year!
Jami steals the bath basket...and Uncle Mark walked away with a couple journals...we asked him if he wanted to write about his feelings since last year he went home with the jump suit and this year his had already missed his opportunity to eat chocolate pie and was leaving with two pretty journals...trust me it was pretty funny.

Our winnings...Adam got a new razor and I got a pretty Hallmark Christmas bell ornament. WE DID GOOD!
After Naughty Santa had ended and everyone had gone home for the night, Adam and I headed into Charlotteville for a last minute visit with the Ainsworths. We hadn't gotten to see them in a while and it was nice to just relax and share how wonderful the holidays had been and what we were looking forward to in the new year. Good times!

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner at the Barkers

Tonight's Menu

Prime Rib, Marinated Veggies, Mashed Potatos, and Brocolli Casserole

It was tasty and we even welcomed one of my mom's nursing students who couldn't go home for the holidays over to dinner this year. It was a relaxed afternoon with the perfect meal to top it all off. Merry Christmas and too all a good night...

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning we woke up at the Herndon's first to see what Santa had brought and whether we had been naughty or nice this year.The first to wake and ready to view the gift opening extravaganza.Evan and Amy arrived in the cutest footsie pajamas!Adam and I celebrating our third Christmas together (married that is). Don't you just love his new Santa hat! Sticky Buns...a Herndon Family Christmas morning must-have.

Time to open gifts...Just some highlights

Everette actually asked for lumber to build his flower beds possibly half joking, but we decided to actually get it for him...that is one board and a gift card to pick up the rest.

Robin got Disney's Sleeping Beauty.

One of Evan and Amy's cute items to use around the house...a sign for the front yard. We got one our first Christmas that said "The Herndons est. 2005 with a pineapple.) They also got lots of tools to use around the house.

If you hadn't noticed I've been enjoying cooking lately, so I got lots of fun cookbooks. Adam's big gift was his Bose headphones. The sound quality really is amazing!

Then after opening many wonderful things because I guess Santa decided we had been GOOD this year, we headed over to "wake up" again at my mom's house.

We got Anna her own coffee maker and coffee supply kit to enjoy during those all-nighters at Radford.
Anna and Will got Adam a signed Redskins mini helmet...you know he loved that. Just look at the Santa hat and you'll know why!Mom got CDs and the DVD Mama Mia, which we watched Christmas night after dinner.

Brad got some jeans for work and books a many as usual.

Will's first Christmas with our family. He got a really nice peacoat from Anna, a cashmere scarf to go with the coat from us and a printer from my parents. Welcome to the family!

Adam's big gift from my parents...a Bose Ipod Soundock. He must have been a really good boy this year because he went from not owning any Bose sound equipment to being the proud owner of two things!

I got four Giada, my favorite food network cook, cookbooks and a beautiful jewelry chest where I have not organized my earrings by color (I know I'm a geek...but now I'll have more variety in the accessories I wear.) My BIG Gift from both the Herndons and the Barkers this year was money to buy a new high tech digital camera so I can make photography into a more serious hobby of mine and I spent Christmas day researching online to find the best deal on my very own Nikon D60! It should arrive tomorrow and I am so excited! Hopefully you'll be able to see the pictures improve vastly even on the blog as I figure it all out. I guess Santa thought I too was GOOD this year! I hope everyone's Christmas mornings were as exciting and fun filled as ours. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Festivities

Christmas Eve Festivities began at Leslie's abode as usual, but this year we met for lunch instead of brunch because Haley had to work half a day. As usual it was the perfect way to kick off the Christmas Celebration. Ready to eat delicious food...and pose for pictures. Don't worry Linds, we didn't take the traditional stairway picture this year without you (2nd down)...we replaced it with a new couch shot. We missed you though and wished you'd been there, but we'll get one with you next year!

Next, Shelby and I were off to Church for the Christmas Eve service. We met my dad, Robin, Everette, and Adam there to celebrate the true reason for the season, the birth of Christ. Happy Birthday Jesus! (Hence the Birthday cake in the church entrance way.)


After a lovely service filled with beautiful music and the final challenge from Pastor Rob, who married us, to remember Christ throughout the year and not just at Christmas time, we were off to my mom's for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner...Lobster Fra Dieovlo.
Antipasta to start...
A shot with our siblings, gotta get one every year (4th down)...can't wait to see the change 20 years from now.)Adam, Evan and Amy having a good laugh with Chloe.Anna and her boyfriend Will playing pool with Will's mom who joined us for the evening.Two of my best friends who spent Christmas Eve with our family YEARS ago at my Nana's and came back to celebrate with us this year. It really helped make it feel like old times even though my Nana, Papa, Uncle Victor, Aunt Lynn and cousins were in Florida for the first time this Christmas. (Oh and we didn't even plan to be so coordinated, guess great minds just think alike.)The "Kids"... a little grown up huh!?

DINNER TIME The Kids' Table...we know how to have a good time, so it's where you want to be!

The Big Kids' TableAdam full of Lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp and a little pasta too...We LOVE LOBSTER FRA DIEOVLO!

GIFTS

Cola received a robe to wear up at my mom's new cabin because if you haven't noticed she enjoys going up there as much as my mom does and Dennis got a movie to watch up there too, The Dark Night.Cola gave my mom a photo album of cabin pictures from the new cabin with room for future photos.

Mom and Brad got aerobeds from Robin and Everette to use up at the cabin. Are you noticing a trend in the gifts this year? Can you tell how much everyone is loving the new little cabin!

It was a festive evening with tons of laughter, love, family and friends! The best way to ring in Christmas!