Merry Christmas!

And now it's all over! I always feel like Christmas sneaks up on me and then afterwards I feel like I missed it. But we did have a wonderful Christmas this year, made even more fun because Rowan was actually interested in her presents (and the boxes everyone else's came in!), even if she wasn't quite into unwrapping yet.



I'm not a Christmas tree people

On Christmas Eve, we headed out to Gramma Nora's to have dinner with her, Matthew, Uncle Sean, Auntie Wendy and their family. We all had a great time, although the spiced rum was going down a little too good...It was great to see my nieces and nephews and to see how much my great niece and nephew have grown! Gracie is only about 3 months older than Rowan, but she's so much taller! And walking like no one's business!

Tasty breakfast!

We woke up on Christmas morning (after one of Mum's dogs kept us up half the night keening at the coyotes) to breakfast, coffee and Bailey's and, of course, presents! James and I gave Rowan a toy (that makes no noise) and James got her a super cute t-shirt, from Gramma Nora and Matthew she got a very pretty ornament, Mr. Potato head from Auntie Christine and a board book from her cousins Kara and Curtis. We've read it at least 10 times already, although Rowan loves to flip pages, so I think there's still a couple pages we haven't hit yet.

Let me help you with that Gramma

Unwrapping, sort of

We drove back to the city, with Rowan and I napping and Daddy driving, to have a wonderful dinner with Gramma Lynne, Grandpa Doug, Uncle Mark, his friend Crystal, and Auntie's Krista and Jenny. Jenny's kids were away for Christmas, so she snapped up Rowan right away and gave her lots of tasty snacks, so that let James and I eat some of the tasty appies that Lynne is famous for. We had turkey and rum balls, then opened more presents, including Rowan's favorite new blanket (she insists we wrap it around her and she drags it all over the house) and a Rockin' Elmo who sings to her. She loves music and to dance, so she rocks out with Elmo whenever she pushes his hand (we left it on "try me mode" so that it only goes off when she hits the button).

Yummy Auntie!

Hanging with the girls

Our 3 day Christmas finished off on Boxing Day with a Skype call to Gramma Robin and Grampa Henry in Mexico. We opened gifts with them and Uncle Mark, including a Lullaby Glow Worm for Rowan and some beautiful hand-made Mexican jewelry for us grown ups. James bought us a new webcam that lightens our dark little living room and we put it on top of the TV, hook up the laptop to the TV and voila! Gramma and Grampa on the big TV and a webcam that covers most of the living room so Rowan doesn't go out of frame quite as often.

It was a great Christmas with lots of laughs and time spent with family, just the way Christmas should be.

And I apologize for not sending out Christmas cards and a new picture of Rowan, but I've got a picture in the works, so I'll send one out in the new year.