Christmas in Texas

Here is Claudia plunging into her Christmas presents,

all the while squealing "ooooooh!"
My tiny tot, eyes all aglow
This year she got excited over toys!
It didn't matter how simple they were.
Here she is going crazy over a paper kaleidoscope.
She found it... and Oscar... in her stocking from Santa.

She was less enthused over a pair of socks in the stocking.

The drama of Llama Llama was almost unbearable.

Finally! A toddler car my girl can actually move.

Remember this car from a year ago? She still can't get this thing to roll.

This Radio Flyer car, however, is awesome. Well done, elves.
This is Claudia's favorite toy!

This is a close second.

It's the Melissa & Doug Pound & Roll Tower.

Melissa & Doug are apparently Santa's most talented elves.

I highly recommend all their wares.

This was a Christmas of great memories.

Claudia has definitely been missing her Gram.

Here's our family shot.

Claudia's little hands are pushing and pinching my neck.

See my strained face? I'm trying to hard to smile despite the pain.

She's struggling to break loose and dive back in the toy pile.

Claudia making a run on the cheese table.

All she wanted was "crackas! crackas!"

Here she is stacking blocks with Uncle Nathan.

Uncle Nathan was a very good sport.

Claudia knocked down every single stack he made.

Did I say that the Radio Flyer was her favorite?

I meant discarded ribbon.

That's her favorite.

My sweet girl in a moment of quiet reflection over the reason for the season.

She has successfully identified every baby Jesus in every nativity she's seen.

Also, she impressed us all by proclaiming "AMEN!" before Christmas dinner.

Open mouth smiles... they are the best.

The temperature dropped in Houston from 75 to 45.

If you can trust the weatherman, he says its about to warm back up to 78 tomorrow.

Did I say that discarded ribbon was her favorite present?

I meant sticks.

Sticks she finds in the yard are her favorite.

Here's Daddyboy doing his best to convince her that Radio Flyer is her favorite.

Not the stick.

Put down the stick, please.

Merry Christmas from Texas!

Here are some of my favorite Christmas day memories. We enjoyed every second of it and are so thankful to be spending this time in Texas. I hope that everyone had a joyful Christmas and that 2011 brings a year of new memories and blessings!