Christmas 2012, check!

Grandmama's Porch

This year, we spent 5 days and 4 nights at Grandmama Grant's in Jackson, MS. Leaving at 6pm on Friday night, we arrived at 6:45am on Saturday morning. Tripp did all the driving and I did all the reaching-into-the-backseat-to-give-a-child-something-they-wanted & keeping-the-driver-awake & texting-family-updates as well as snoozing here and there. Tripp decided to try 5 hour energy after a recommendation from a coworker and it was successful!

A special part of this Christmas was a spontaneous visit from Jacky & Cayte! It worked out that they were able to come to Grandmama's house late Friday night and stay through Sunday morning. We have missed their presence greatly at Christmas and were so thankful for the brief but precious time. We are all praying that next Christmas our families, as well as new baby Olyvia who will be 10 months by next Christmas, will enjoy time together again. There's one little person in particular who would like to see his best friend Jacky as much as possible. That's David and he just adores his uncle Jacky. Oh yeah, and this trip, David decided that their dog Zoey was fun to take on walks in the backyard.

Oh the backyard! From Saturday morning on, David was at the back window begging to be let out into the backyard to romp around. Tripp was getting tired of chasing David around, but thanks to cousin Grant, he made it out pretty much all Saturday. David must have known it was going to DOWNPOUR for a large remainder of the trip. Christmas day on, it was like sheets of water coming down - which triggered stories of some flood in Jackson where the water was up to Grandmama's cabinets. I was tempted to hit the road early.

Beginning late Sunday afternoon, Aunt Seale (not my aunt, David's aunt), Grandpa G and Mimi came over to start our Grant family Christmas time. It was wonderful to catch up and good to pass an energetic David and snugly off to grandparents. We celebrated Christmas and opened gifts with them that evening and like usual, the giving was more than generous. My family abides by lists for about 50% of gifting. The Grant family not only abides by the list but finds really neat companion gifts that shows so much thoughtfulness. For example, I asked for gray socks because when I walk around our apt in my white socks they turn gray from dirt. From Grandpa G and Mimi not only did I get gray/black awesome athletic socks, I also got mega thermal tall cozy socks. For Judah, I asked for playtex sippy cups. Not only did they give him a blue/red playtex sippy cup, they found an AMAZING stainless steele thermal sippy cup that keeps cold for up to 6 hrs. David is 'trying out' that gift right now and it's great! All this to say, thank you so much Grandpa G and Mimi for always showing love to our family through the language of thoughtful gifts. We're thankful for you!

After Sunday, the MS Christmas finished off with frisbee games in the front yard, families opening gifts, lots of comfort holiday food, COFFEE and more COFFEE, breakfast casserole, tetris, cable TV (thank you Jacky!!), chats with Grandmama & Perkins family, and feeding Judah...

Before I close this entry, I've just got to record my experience of feeding a 5 month old in a house of 15+ people. One of the most fun parts about staying at Grandmama's house is the morning to late night family time. Every room has a welcoming relative or 10 and a place to plop and chat. Follow me now to 2am. Judah has decided to wake EVERY night at this sleepy hour and I feel the best solution is to feed him and put him back down as quietly as possible. Due to the possibility of nightwaking we took preventative measures of also not waking up David by having Judah sleepover in Grandmama's room, bless her! So each night, around 2am I responded to Judah's cry by scooping him up and walking to some open seat in the house to feed him. At the height of house guests, I couldn't find my glasses and ended up bumping into Aunt Olivia on the couch. She was sweet and offered to turn the light on, but I preferred darkness to conceal my feeding Judah and try to keep us all sleepy. Thankfully, Judah always went back down quietly and quickly, but I tell you these night adventures will be unforgettable.

Christmas 2011, check!

We're sticking to our usual road-trip Christmas, but cut the stops short to only Jackson, Mississippi this year. Driving down, we stopped 6hrs into the night (by midnight) and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and I have never thought I'd be so thrilled to see a hotel bed! Poor David started the trip with a double ear infection, but was a surprisingly content backseat rider both ways. I thank those who remembered to lift up our road trip to the Lord - safe and success!

We stayed with Grandmama this visit, due to David's early bed-time and our love to party with the family. And I mean the whole family, 88 year old Grandmama Grant included! We enjoyed her dear company, encouraging conversation and of coarse - sweetly (I'm talking candy, cookies and cake) generous hosting. I regret that I didn't get more photos with those that we love to spend time with in Jackson, but let me name them here by order of appearance: Uncle Jerry and Aunt Olivia who beat us first place to Jackson by 2 hrs; cousin Jerry who David loved to be loved by; sister Seale and her ever familiar family warmth; bro-in-law Matt and his manly presence; Grant, Stephanie & Addison who have all become family I love to chat with; David, Kelly, Cole & Noelle a growing family I can relate to; and finally our beloved Grandpa G and Mimi who completed our Christmas with more cheer than we could have expected! I've said before and I'll say it again - this group is incredible gift givers and as I find homes for each gift in our home now I'm absolutely thankful. I'm thankful for the thoughtfulness but more so for the memories of time with our precious family.

Till next year in Jackson...

Here are some highlights from the trip and photos of Christmas at our Bosworth apt.

Christmas 2011, a set on Flickr.

David's first Christmas...

is just days away...