Christmas 2011 - Our Last Carolina Christmas (and anniversary)

Merry Christmas 2011 (in pictures)!  

Treats, treats, treats!

Happy 33rd birthday, Justin!

Anniversary dinner at P.F. Chang's.  9 years and counting!

Since there weren't any good movies playing we decided to walk around the mall instead.  That's how crazy we get on our anniversary! :)

The best part of making Christmas treats is in delivering them! :)

Norah wanted to help this year, too. :)

If you look (really) closely you can see a kid approaching each house across the cul-de-sac.  They make a very efficient delivery service! :)

Looking at the trains at Santa's Winter Wonderland (a.k.a. Bass Pro Shoppe)

                                     

Waiting to see Santa!

This year only the boys wanted to sit on Santa's lap.  Norah and Beckett wanted nothing to do with the big guy!  Norah did accept a candy cane held at arms length, though. ;)

Beckett (still traumatized from us trying to put him on Santa's lap), Jack, Norah & Eddie

Christmas shopping is exhausting! 

Daddy Elf assembling Norah's first play kitchen on Christmas Eve while Mommy Elf cleaned up and got the rest of Santa's gifts arranged under the tree... Any yes, that is White Christmas playing on the television. ;)

Yep - I think Santa was here!

The Christmas morning march down the stairs to see if Santa came!  (It was probably around 5:30 a.m.  Yikes.)

Sadly, with the excitement of opening presents that ensued and then the monumental cleanup I didn't take any other pictures.  Rest assured that no one was left disappointed!  The boys got a Wii from Santa and were just over the moon.  Norah's play kitchen was a definite success and Beckett LOVED his enormous teddy bear.  Justin bought me an amazing new camera (Nikon D3100) which I have determined not to remove from the box until after the move so I can actually sit down and read the manual and watch the instructional DVD's.  And Justin got three month's worth of date-nights and a cordless mouse for his laptop. ;)

We are so grateful for a loving Savior and that we are able to freely celebrate his birth and life in this wonderful country.  We are so happy to have been able to spend our past seven Christmas's here in NC and though we are excited for the journey to come, we will miss North Carolina!