Christmas in the Bootheel

We spent the weekend before Christmas in the bootheel. All of my aunts and uncles and cousins on Nana Jana's side got together on Saturday to eat pizza, watch the little kids open gifts, and play bingo. (I'm so disappointed that we didn't get a group picture!)  I picked this this one because at least Layla was smiling. We couldn't get anybody else to look at the camera!

Nana Jana & Aunt Helen "reading" a family photo album to Amelie.

Layla was better at the game than the little girls. They were pretty interested in what she was doing.

Amelie enjoyed playing with the dolls made from handkerchiefs embroidered by her great-great-grandma Lora. I think Papaw Leroy was taking his breathing treatment in the background.

Aunt Helen got to hold baby James. Doesn't he look so big?

We talked Amelie into getting into the picture.

We went to Grandpa Bob & Grandma Pat's Sunday morning for breakfast. James got to wear the snowman outfit from Grandma Pat for the occasion & Aunt Holly wrangled the baby while Amelie opened her presents.

Amelie looks like she's eyeing the toys that the dog got for Christmas here :) She's enjoying her camera a great deal, though she managed to delete all of her photos off of it already! When she takes some more, I'll try to put some of them up on the blog, too.

Smile!

Uncle Jeff & Aunt Patti

Grandpa Bob & Grandma Pat in their snazzy suede shirts

On Monday, we drove back up to Columbia. We've found that the kids do better if I sit in between the carseats in the back. Sam squeezed himself back there for the last leg of the trip like a champ, but it was dark & we were all getting tired of driving, so I didn't get a picture of that configuration.(Oh, and you can't see him, but Schroeder is camped out underneath Amelie's carseat on the floorboard.)

It was 60 degrees (and sunny!) when we left and 20 degrees (and dark!) by the time we got home.