Say What You Mean To, Sa!: Christmas 2011

Christmas this year was crazy like always, but with an added bonus since it was Caroline’s first Christmas!

School got out on the 20th and we ended up heading down to Jacksonville on the 22nd. We spent a lot of time with his grandma and unfortunately she passed away on the morning of Christmas Eve. It has been a tough year for Jason’s mom and their entire family.

Through it all we were about to enjoy a nice Christmas with Jason’s family. Jason’s mom cooked an Italian dinner that was delicious and we all got to open lots of really nice presents.

Mike and Anita

The Christmas tree with ALL the presents!

Matt, Tiffany, and Alex with his guitar!

Caroline had lots of presents to open. She helped a little bit, but then we opened these blocks and she was done. She played with these while Mommy and Daddy finished opening for her!

Here Caroline was being a little elf and helping Grandpa Mike!

Jason was stoked when he opened his…

Xbox 360!

On Christmas Eve we loaded up to head back to Winston. It is really important to us to be able to be in our house on Christmas morning so that Santa can come to visit Caroline. Even the stomach flu wasn’t going to stop us from giving Caroline a great first Christmas! (I got it Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and spread the wealth through my whole family over the next week or so – like Greg said, the gift that keeps on giving!)

Putting out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer!

Santa came and left presents under the tree…

and filled our stockings!

Sassypants waking up on her first Christmas morning!

Santa ate the cookies, drank the milk, and the reindeer ate the carrots!

Look, Daddy!

Reading why Jesus is the reason for the season!

Digging into that stocking!

Let the games begin!

Sitting amidst her loot!

Santa was good to Jason and me, also, but let’s be honest, Christmas is not about us anymore!

Christmas night my mom, dad, Greg, and Michelle came up. Jeff, Johnna, and their girls had been in Winston for a while. My whole family came over to our house on the 26th for the Collins Christmas. What a crazy bunch we have nowadays!

The Collins Family – all 15 of us!

Mimi and Papa with the grandkids!

Penelope and Jack

If she is not the cutest thing!

Nia and Anna taking a break from the madness and watching some cartoons.

Uncle Jeffro getting some snuggle time with Caroline

Cheers to Jeffro and Johnna who got ENGAGED a few weeks ago!!

The Fro Fam!

Papa reading with Caroline + Jack

Papa getting some Sweet P love!

Now it’s Mimi’s turn!

Caroline and Uncle G!

After all the gift opening was completed (we drew names for the five little ones and then did a Dirty Santa for the 10 big people…it was perfect!) Ja started a roaring fire on the back porch and everyone toasted up some marshmallows for some delicious s’mores!