Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas Eve 2012

After hosting the oyster roast on Saturday, we cleaned up, packed up and headed 5 hours up to NC to have Christmas at Breezy and BestSonInLawEVER's house.

It was quite a trek, but we did it and we had a great time! Take a look---

Breezy had their house all decorated when we arrived---


Late Christmas Eve afternoon, BestSonInLawEVER's family came over for food and fun. That's Deanie with BestSonInLawEVER's two sisters. Let me just say that we couldn't have hand picked a better family to be in-laws with. That whole family is just wonderful!


Evwardo couldn't be with us because his family was flying to Indiana to spend Christmas with his extended family. So Birdie brought his look alike along (remember the life-sized cardboard cutout he sent her while she was in Texas?)---


The lovelies are a bit Harry Potter obsessed. And yes, they're all adults. But still kids at heart- which is one of the things I love most about them!


Every year, the lovelies draw names to see which sister they buy a gift for. A few years ago, we started the tradition of giving a handmade gift. This tradition stuck with Birdie, DoodleBug and myself. Birdie drew Breezy this year so she made Breezy a quilt---

Breezy was a little bit pleased with the gift---


The maker and the receiver of the quilt---


Yeah...I'm not going there---


See? Harry Potter crazy! Or should I say, "CRAY"?


Tucker may have appreciated the quilt too---


The lovelies---
 

They still love opening presents!


So, this year, Mimi (my mother) got in on the handmade gifts. When the lovelies were growing up, Mimi made their Christmas and Easter dresses every year. She also made them t-shirts or sweatshirts (depending on the season) for EVERY holiday- Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  

This year, she made each of them a Christmas tree skirt. Each skirt had the designs on them that Mimi had put on the lovelies' Christmas shirts through the years---


The lovelies liked their tree skirts a little---That's Breezy showing hers off. The polar bears are the most recent design and were on one of the shirts Mimi made Breezy this year. That Santa was on one of the shirts Mimi made me.
 

See that Rudolph? That was on the first shirt when Breezy was in kindergarten. That snowman? That was on Deanie's first stocking that Mimi made. The Christmas tree? That was on the first shirt she made DoodleBug (that's DoodleBug in the picture). 


That's Mimi- rubbing Rico and Tucker---


That's my Aunt Betty- my mother's sister. She's the BEST even with her eyes closed---

 
Evwardo wanted an orange (because orange is his favorite color AND because he went to Clemson) hat with ear flaps for Christmas. I had no idea how to knit one, so I had to learn SPEEDY QUICK! He opened his before we left--- Birdie found a Clemson Tiger paw so I put that on the front---


The lovelies opened theirs on Christmas Eve--


I made one for BestSonInLawEVER and the husband too---They put the cardboard Evwardo in the picture but he had his hat in Indiana with him.


And the best Christmas present of all is one of mine---I saw a painting that I LOVED this summer and, because it costs $11,000, I took a picture of it and asked Breezy to paint one for me--in her own style, of course..She's not quite finished but here it is so far---


 It was a wonderful Christmas Eve!

Everyone wants us to make it a new tradition to travel up there for the holidays. I'm thinking that's just so they don't have to do any traveling and they get to have BestSonInLawEVER and Breezy up there and don't have to share them.

Even though it was a really good time, it was also a crap-ton of work to get everything up there and get the food ready, etc. And it was exhausting.

Of course, I told them that if there was a baby up there, we might consider being the ones to be put out every year and do all the work. ;)

14 comments:

  1. I'm completely in awe of the talent in your family!
    Let me check this..Birdie is the one who learned to sew about a year ago? Now she's making stunning quilts, amazing!
    Your Mom is obviously very talented and artistic too, I just love the idea of bringing along the designs from each year and incorporating them into a tree-skirt. It's like a "this is your life in Christmasses"!
    Your photos are all fab, and the knitted hats do not look like the work of a learner.
    It's lovely to see family having fun together, these times are so important (even if there's a lot of hard work packing up and driving!)
    Enjoy the rest of the feztive season!!

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  2. I keep on forgetting to tell you..Clemson Wind Band were performing at the London 2012 Olympics Event in Hyde Park when I was over in August. Enjoyed it very much! They were excellent!

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  3. This is a link to the post and photo of them playing in Hyde Park. I think it's the same orange?

    http://mimiindublin.blogspot.ie/search?updated-max=2012-08-27T23:46:00%2B01:00&max-results=7

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  4. Looks like you all had a wonderful Christmas at Breezy's house! Worth the trek.

    What a gorgeous quilt! And I love those stocking caps!

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  5. Looks like such a loving and full-filled day! Glad you enjoyed it :)

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  6. What a breath-taking Christmas you've had. I love the tree skirts. That's a wonderful way to preserve those memories of Christmas past. And the hats! You did good!

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  7. Mimi- I'm completely in awe of their talent as well! Just when I think I've done something fabulous, one of them shows me up. LOL I thought the tree skirts were a great idea too. We did have a great time but it's taking me a few days to rest up for school next week. :) Thank you for sending me the link! Somehow I missed that post of yours! You're right about Birdie- she just taught herself how to sew last year. She started with aprons and now she's making quilts. I put in my order for next Christmas---a Christmas quilt! Thank you so much!

    Kathy- We did and it was worth it! Birdie amazes us- she just taught herself to quilt last year! Thank you for your kind words!

    Plum- It sure was! Thank you!

    Stephanie- I loved Mimi's idea of the tree skirts. She put a lot of hours into those things. You notice that I didn't get one...LOL I thought of you when I posted the hat pictures---I was going to tell you not to look at them! :)

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  8. Now that is the way Christmas should be. Everyone using their talents.

    I love the tree shirts - Hmmmm I might do something like that. I find receiving something handmade by my loved one is truly a TREASURE!

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  9. Well I like that motivation. I know I will do just about anything for a baby. Even if I am so tired my eyes are crossed. :) It looks like a totally fun time and I love the Marauders Map too. Your painting is fantastic!!
    I hope you get to rest before you have to go back to work. I have slept late these last few days now and it helps ever so much.
    Have a nice rest of the week.

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  10. The painting is so beautiful! Looks like it was a perfect Christmas. Love that Evwardo was there in cardboard. Have to say that you win the prize in my book for best Christmas gift ever. Those tree skirts are absolutely amazing!

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  11. What a fantastically terrific holiday. I love that every gift is given with thought and love, just the way Christmas gifts should be.

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  12. Your family is amazing...all so talented! Wonderful memories were made with your lovelies!
    Merry Christmas!

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  13. morning- I couldn't agree with you more! Those handmade gifts just can't be beat.

    Kim- We did have a fantastic time! I can't wait to get my painting home and hang it up! I'm like you with the whole baby thing- I just love them and will do anything for them.

    Debby- Thank you! I love it too and we did have a marvelous time! Isn't that the cutest thing- the cardboard Evwardo? LOL

    Gail- I totally agree with you! I think we made the right move a few years ago. I'm so glad it stuck!

    Shawn- Thank you! Hey, how did your cookie day go this year?

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  14. What a great family you have! And it looks like you had a wonderful Christmas! Well worth the trip, even without a baby in the house!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me feel connected to everyone even though we may live far apart! Have a wonderful day!

 
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