Christmas in Texas... Finally!

It's been quiet on the blog since Christmas.  We've been just a little busy.  Our ten days of traveling to three different homes came to an end on New Year's Eve, and we immediately had to move out and back in to our home for some new carpet installation.  It's actually not so bad now that we're on the back end of it.  Let's just say spring cleaning came early for us this year.

I've also been working on this here blog of mine.  I figured it needed a new face for a New Year. 

Oh, and then Bella decided to get three molars these past two days.  Sleep, where are you?

So I realize most Christmas trees have already been taken down, and most people have already broken a New Year's resolution or two, but I still have a Christmas story to tell.  So, here goes:

If you want a quick snapshot of what Christmas looked like at the Davis house, then I think this picture captures it perfectly. Christmas was full of fun and family and excitement and giving and warmth... and it whizzed by!  (By the way, that baby doll in Bella's hand was totally thrown in to the toilet today.  Nice.)

It whizzed by so fast, that we really stunk at getting good pictures of Bella and Kate.  Take these shots, for example:

A poking war gone picking.  Gross.  Sorry, Kate.

But Bella loved the gifts... er, boxes.                    And Cole's reactions were priceless.

And the boys loved being, well, boys.  

And the kids loved lovin' on their GREAT grandmothers.  Yes, that makes for four generations in one house this Christmas.

The adults loved having the kids to make things extra crazy and extra special. After the kids had opened presents on Christmas Eve, Papa read passages out of Isaiah and Luke to everyone, and then he read a special rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" just for the kids.  Well, minus Kate... she was already nestled, all snug in her bed.

And then came Christmas morning: 

The girls loved all the toys (and vitamin bottles) that had magically appeared.

And Bella loved sneaking some snacks from Papa in the pantry.  Isn't this what grandparents' homes are all about?

There are so many special moments that our cameras didn't capture, so I'll stop there and leave you with the classic Davis family pose under the mantle crowded with stockings:

What a second.  That's not the classic pose.

There.  That's much better.  

Here's to Christmas 2011!