Every Picture Tells a Story

As such, I'm including a bunch of stories. Seems to me that loads of folks like their birthdays, ranking it as one of the biggest days of the years. I'm not one of those folks. I do, on the other hand, love everything about Christmas. Biggest day of the year for me.

I went ahead and did the Winter Garden market on Christmas Eve, mostly because I knew that I wouldn't be missed for much of the day. Jonathan, Alissa and Bruce went to the movies again, seeing Sherlock Holmes. As you can imagine, aside from a few rushes of folks here and there, mostly the market was quiet. My sales though were better than the last few weeks. While there I saw this funny t-shirt on a man who graciously allowed me to photograph him.

Cute, huh?

My plan was to have a little family get together before the big, gigantic extended family meet up on Christmas afternoon at Lisa and Danny's house. While thinking aloud about what I might cook, Bruce came up with the menu. Roast pork and potatoes, asparagus and waldorf salad. Perfect. Will do.

After dinner, stockings were passed out and hopefully enjoyed. Note the tablecloth which never really got made. My intentions were good but as anyone who has ever sewn will see in a heartbeat, the selvage is showing! After Dave, Bill and Michelle left, Bruce and I hit the sack while Jonathan and Alissa finished up their wrapping chores.

Christmas morning, while I was in the shower, Matt called via FaceTime from Melton Mowbray where he's spending the holidays with Tom's family. Duh! I have no photograph of that! And people have the nerve to say I'm always taking photographs! Once Jonathan woke up we used his iPad so Matt could watch while we opened the gifts he left for us while here for Thanksgiving. Very 2011! More about gifts tomorrow, otherwise this post will go on forever.

We may have been making too much noise which woke Alissa. As is our custom, those who wake up last, open the first gifts. Surely I've written about this before, and if so, bear with me. Someone smarter than I shared that strategy when the children were young and we've kept it going all these many years later. This year, as has been the case for a number of years, Bruce and I have a $50 limit for the gifts we give each other, thus freeing up more money for our loved ones gifts. Bruce did a beautiful job wrapping all the gifts he found for me.

He is our bow king for sure!

Jon and Alissa even brought Baxter gifts.

I needn't tell you he wore his new little Santa hat just long enough for a picture! He's cleaning up the crumbs from one of his treats which came from the "Groovy Dog Bakery" in Austin. Indeed, Baxter is a pretty groovy dog. Alissa had fun chasing hin around the living room while he had his stuffed toy, pictured on the left, in his mouth. Gifts for all!

After a nice breakfast, Jonathan was lounging on the couch, doing what many young people do--play with their phone, whether it be texting or watching videos!

Later on, Bill arrived, unwrapping his gifts while we all watched. Afterwards I asked him if he would play the acoustic guitar which has been here in one room or another ever since he left home seven years ago. We tend to forget just how good he is when we don't hear him play for awhile. It was a real treat.

Finally David and Michelle came over. We couldn't wait to give Dave his big gift which Bruce wrapped up nicely the day before.

He was, or at least it seemed to us, completely stymied.

Initially Michelle was a little dismayed wondering where the new safe was going to go, however, today after Bruce, Dave and Bill set it up, she seems a little less unhappy with us. She was definitely happy with the apron I made for her.

She's reading the card I included which told her that the rick rack came from Bruce's mom's sewing basket. Something along the lines that three Mrs. Peck's will have their hand on this apron.

Piling into two cars we made our way to Lisa's house. Good grief, what a crowd!!! 28 was the final count! Don't ask me why but I didn't check the battery life on my Olympus before we left. Once there I did a little photoshoot with my niece Lib's daughters. More simply, Maureen's granddaughters who have grown up considerably since I saw them several years ago. There was just something about Hannah's look which made me want to take more and more photographs. Today she turns 15.

Her little sister Lucy is a sweet quirky little girl who claims to want to go into comedic acting when she grows up. Her long, brown, wavy hair and funny little outfit were perfect for a photo shoot out on the back lawn.

Obviously I was running my battery down all the while! Michelle gave David a remote controlled helicopter which was quite the marvel. Rich, Spencer and Maureen are all caught looking up while it floated skyward.

I am plum crazy for this picture of three generations!

Lib, Jen and Michelle were also out back enjoying their drinks in the incredibly mild weather.

Unlike me, Lisa is quite the table decorator. It was so darn pretty everyone was afraid to use it.

Feeding that big a group is quite a challenge, however she and Danny made it happen.

Because of the battery situation I've no pictures of anyone else but let me tell you it was a full house! Just as my battery gave up it's life I took this picture of Jonathan and Spencer who is so darn cute, no one can keep their hands off of him!

Although I took a few with my phone, it's just not the same as using a prime lens.

We made an early exit so that Jonathan and Alissa could meet up with Jonathan's best friend for years, Ryan and his wife Stacey. According to Bill, things got way livelier after our departure.

Here's hoping you had a lovely time making memories,
Gail