Home and Christmas again

Well, I am officially here to report that it is a dang long way from Texas to Georgia. We got in the truck at 3 AM last Saturday morning (4 AM Eastern Time), and headed back east. We were down one DVD player, thanks to a certain two year old who went with us. The kids got a brand new one from Grandmom and Grandad for Christmas, which we mounted on the seat...in front of the two year old. This particular model has the "open" button located just where he could push it with his toe, and then wham his foot up, shearing the cover clean off. Yes, you can place the cover over the top of the DVD, but the player won't be fooled into thinking the thing is actually closed, and will continue to read "OPEN" on the screen, instead of playing the DVD. Live and learn.We did still have one DVD player, however, which we borrowed from Carlton and Alison (thanks again!), and it sufficed to help pass the time. The kids really were good considering the length of the drive. We just stopped when we needed to, and didn't stress about the time the stops took. We got home at 9:30, dumped everybody in the bed, unloaded the truck, and went to bed. Sunday morning we headed out to church (NOT the early service!), and when we got home my brother and sister-in-law were here. They stopped at the grocery store on our behalf since we had pretty much nothing in the house to eat. Mom and Dad arrived soon after, and we spent the afternoon and evening having Christmas again. Check out the loot! We missed Christmas with my extended family this year as well, so we also had gifts from aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Dad and Jonathan ponder what's under the tree. Or maybe they're just sitting on the couch. Shannon pretty well knew what was coming since he had all that present opening practice out in Texas.He's actually banging on the gift in anticipation.Avery waited patiently for a few minutes while they were all handed out, then announced he was going to open one as he started ripping into it.My niece Jordan, who is nearly 18 months old. She enjoyed her presents this year. Give it one more year and she'll really have the hang of this Christmas thing."Wow, check out this present.""Hey, is this thing chocolate?""Yumyumyum, crunchcrunchcruch!!!" (Insert Cookie Monster noise here.) Amelia came downstairs in her new poodle skirt, and had requested that her hair be up "like Tinkerell's." She told everyone that now she looked like a real princess. It's impossible to be in the right frame of mind for gift opening otherwise, I'm sure.Grandmom and Grandad got cinnamon ornaments the kids made.Lisa, Jonathan, and JordanAmelia and Grandad work on coloring stickers Amelia got as a gift.Good job on the princesses, Grandad!Monday was mom's 60th birthday, so after hanging around the house for awhile we all went out for lunch. A restaurant in Dahlonega I hadn't been to was the place of choice. They opened the downstairs area because there were so many of us and the place was small. We thought that was special...until we ended staying nearly two hours because they were so slow! Oh well, more time celebrate. And entertain kids. Happy birthday, Mom!Lisa and Jonathan left for home in Marietta from there, and Mom and Dad spent one more night at camp. They left the next morning, and we hung around the house continuing to put away new gifts and mounds of clothes we hadn't yet had the chance to unpack. We also played outside and enjoyed the nice weather since the earth can't seem decide if it's supposed to be winter or summer. (It was 77 degrees the day before we left Texas.) We have seen black bears off and on all spring and summer, but haven't heard from them in awhile. They're definetely still around though, because we discovered our play set which is a ways from the house up in the woods has been taste tested by bears. There are slight claw marks on the climbing wall, on planks around the part that makes the playhouse area, and on a support beam. There is also a hole where a tooth bit through the plastic baby swing, and it has a crease in it where it was bent. I would love to be able to send the older two kids outside to play alone around the house but I'm afraid to! Maybe we will once they've both been through a couple of summers of camp riflery and can go out armed.On New Years' eve we went to the Davidsons for dinner and to help celebrate Maggie's 7th birthday. They got a Wii for Christmas so the kids watched movies downstairs while the adults Wii'd in the new year. We reasoned that they could sleep in the next morning. Not that they ever have before. Not that they did this time. But we had fun!
Next week it's back to life as usual. I'll start school back with Amelia. At some point we'll be taking down the Christmas tree. We have an embarrassing dump in the basement, and James has said he'd rather get that cleaned up before we put the tree away. It's mostly because of a fun project I've been putting off- organizing the clothes the kids have outgrown that I've been piling up on top of the Rubbermaid trunks I bought to put them in. It's pretty much a disaster at this point...and another testimony to and reminder of how extremely blessed we are to live in this country with such abundance. So, we may still have the tree up in May!! (And there won't be any before and after pictures, it's just too embarrassing.)
Happy New Year, everybody! One last picture I took yesterday. Elizabeth is now up to 3 meals of baby cereal and some kind of fruit or vegetable a day, in addition to nursing. I just thought she looked so small and cute in her chair. She's also getting the hang of sitting up. I'll post more pictures of that as she gets better at it.