Christmas Vacation - Part Two

There isn't much to say about the following pictures.  The first ones are on Christmas Eve before going to church.  The space looks so empty without all the Hitchcocks filling up the space like last year!

The next two pictures are our attempt at Santa Claus.  Chase put out 2 fig newtons (the only Christmas cookies to be found in the Hatcher house!!) and a carrot for Santa and Rudolph.  I thought it would be fun if Rudolph left a trail.

The fun of Christmas morning.  I have quickly realized that Christmas is truly ONLY fun with little ones around!  It was fun to watch Chase process things.  She saw her stocking and noticed really only one book.  Picked it up, looked at it, didn't bother looking at the rest of the stuff.  After a while she discovered the tree, found a gift, opened it, played with it for sometime before even going to get another one.  This lasted all morning.  She didn't even open her stocking until that night!

A gorgeously decorated Southern home....

Chase and Uncle Kagey...

The whole Krider clan...minus sweet Mama Jo...a new Christmas for us all.

It was a very special day being with the Hatcher/Krider clan.  Uncle Kagey and Pop arrived around 11 from North Carolina.  They made the best time ever, just shy of 3 hours.  We had a delicious and very traditional Krider/Klutz Christmas dinner prepared wholeheartedly by Jenkie, much of the food honoring her mother and father.  After all, she did not make the oyster casserole on OUR behalf!!  We relaxed, watched football, basketball, napped, opened gifts, and then Kagey headed back to Atlanta.  Pop ended up staying 3 nights with us.  That was a special treat to have him around so long.  And we could tell he really enjoyed his time with Chase.  He said Mama Jo would be very proud of who Chase is becoming.  She was missed. I missed hearing her voice and watching her sit by the fire with a blanket on.  But, thankful that we have those memories of last Christmas to remember.  One night Pop had already gone into his bedroom and Chase was going to bed and she said to Jenkie, "have to give Pop hugs and kisses good night."  So Jenkie knocked on the door and he was sitting on his bed and Jenkie told him what Chase had said, and he felt really touched that she had thought of him.  

Atlanta got snow all day Christmas.  We got it all day the day after, and it was beautiful, but it did not stick.  You'll have to look really closely to see the snowflakes!  

Amazingly, another Christmas is behind us.  We are always amazed when it is the "holiday season" once again, but then it goes by just as quickly.  We made a lot of sweet memories.

One thing I failed to mention...one special thing that technology allowed us to do this year was feel a little closer to our far away families.  We got to webchat with the Hitchcocks before they had their Christmas dinner.  It was fun to see all the kids with their new toys.  All the kids, including Chase got a Disney stuffed animal and new jammies.  Chase's were all Beauty and the Beast characters.  Webchatting almost gives you the feeling of being right with distant family.  We also got to webchat with my whole family that was all together, minus us.  That was equally wonderful.  They were watching old family movies, so John was very happy not to be forced into that!  I have a feeling they will be waiting for us when we go to Colorado next week.