Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas week full of fun and family. Dana came down from NYC and Granny came from Fort Worth on the train (make that bus.) Sadie was showered with gifts and attention, being the only grandbaby at the Tingley house. She never fails to entertain. Check out the Christmas slideshow to the left. Here are some highlights from the last few days:
- staying in at the Tingley house and getting warm by the fire
- warm yummy soups that Bebe made
- keeping Sadie up a little later at night to enjoy the festivities
- Sadie sleeping in a little later than usual
- decorating our Gingerbread house at home in our PJs
- Sadie having candy for breakfast while decorating above mentioned house
- Sadie in her gorgeous silk dress for Christmas Eve service while we all wore jeans
- getting to church for a 5 o'clock service that really started at 5:30, which allowed us a few minutes to play in the sunshine on the Capitol grounds with Bebe, Papa, Granny, and Dana
- Sadie in her sheep ears for the service playing the part by saying, "Baa" as she walked up front to join the manger scene
- Sadie dancing to the carols during the service and calling for "Bebe" while up at the alter
- seeing all of our friends from church with their little ones
- our Christmas Eve tamale dinner with all the fixin's
- continuing the tradition we started last year of reading "The Night Before Christmas" right before we put Sadie to bed
- leaving cookies for Santa on the mantle
- asking Sadie when she woke up if she thought Santa had come and she signed, "Eat cookies!"
- the look on her face when she saw the bounty waiting for her under the tree
- Sadie's PJs on Christmas morning made her look like a candy cane
- seeing Sadie so excited about new toys that she wanted to play with them right then instead of opening the next gift
- having our traditional Christmas morning breakfast of "pigs" (i.e. pigs in the blanket) at our house with the help of Bebe, since we still don't have a kitchen sink/countertops
- sharing this special time with 3 of Sadie's grandparents (Bebe, Papa, and Nana), her great-grandmother (Granny) and her Aunt Dana.
- heading over to Bebe and Papa's house for round 2 of gifts and a big holiday meal with more family, who we don't see often enough
- Matt doing the "Daddy thing" for the assembly-required gifts
- Spooner recipe Pecan pie
- anticipating the arrival of Gramps, Aunt Stacy, Uncle Greg, Katelyn, Mason and and Gracie

We wish all of our family and friends a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 2008 has been one to remember. Love, Kara, Matt and Sadie