Christmas in Columbia

Ok, I know that I'm totally late with this post, and the next several that will come! But I lost my card reader, so I didn't have a good way to get pictures onto our computer. Plus, I have been enjoying the time Josh, Laney and I have had to hang out together, without much computer time. It's been a good Christmas break for us! But, pictures must be posted, so here's the first of several Christmas/New Years posts!

Truman seriously enjoys the things that come along with Christmas... namely, boxes, bags, and wrapping paper strewn about the house! What better place for a kitty to play?! Here he is in the box that Laney's Price cousin gift came- a big stuffed sheep from Addyson!

It was definitely a different feel to Christmas this year. Last year, Josh and I were more excited because Elena was there, and Elena liked to look at the tree, but it was nothing like this year. She loved the tree, loved to look at the presents, it was a whole new world, and we loved every minute of it! Some cute pre-Christmas pictures...

We had our own little elf! Here is Miss Elena using the mail cart Uncle Tim got her for her birthday to deliver presents!

The funny thing is, the bigger present that's in there is no big deal, it's just a spare from the youth Christmas party. But the little red one is actually Elena's present to me, which was obviously really from Josh. And it was my big present this Christmas, a beautiful silver cross necklace with a sapphire (I LOVE sapphires) that Josh had made for me. Anyway, it stayed in her mail cart all the way until Christmas morning (I think this was Christmas Eve), and when we passed out presents and it was gone Josh panicked, and then I remembered seeing it in her cart. It was pretty funny. She definitely earns her "Relocator" nickname!

In general, though, Laney didn't really know what the presents were for, but she sure liked digging under the tree! Not sure if it was because of the tree, the presents, or the joy of torturing Truman!

As usual, we woke up BRIGHT AND EARLY on Christmas morning. Josh and I are such big kids, we have trouble sleeping Christmas Eve anyway. This year we put a movie on and watched it in bed until we finally fell asleep. But Laney woke up at about 5:30, and then we were awake, so up we went!

Laney was not so excited to be awake. She was, however, a fan of the candy in her stocking!

Truman LOVED his present. It's just a pole with some stretchy fleece attached to it, but he was all about chasing it. So maybe it won't join the pile of unused cat toys!

Elena wasn't actually too into the opening presents thing (although that could have been the whole 5:30 AM thing), but once she saw that Santa had brought her a baby doll stroller, she perked right up. Literally, she jumped up off of my lap and started pushing it around with a little baby doll she already had. Gotta love when they're little, and an $8 stroller is the best present in the world!!

And it wouldn't be Christmas morning without a traditional Looten-family portrait! Josh tolerates me breaking out the tripod and messing with the self-timer. This one came out pretty good, although the sugar craze has started working on Laney!

In the car on the way out to Grandma & Grandpa Price's house. Check out the cell phone from her stocking!

Mom & Dad always have a real tree, typically one they cut themselves. This year's was HUUUGE, and took up half of the living room. Sometimes I miss having a real tree, since that's what I grew up with. But then, after about 15 minutes at Mom & Dad's, when my head is about to explode, I remember why I'm glad to have a fake tree! That, and I can put mine up in November without being a serious fire hazard!! Anyway, here's their tree... looks pretty good!

Dad opening his big gift, which was from Jess, Mike, Charlie, Josh and I. We got him a 3-ton jack, a set of 3-ton jack stands, and a creeper. It was a major Black Friday find, which I had to wrestle into the car by myself (yes, it weighed 114 pounds according to the bottom of the box). I even got it wrapped (with Josh's help), which I was quite proud of! And it was too fun to watch him open it, he was pretty excited!

Speaking of pretty excited, this was what Grandma & Grandpa Price got Laney for Christmas! Pretty cool, huh? And built by Grandpa! We're waiting for it to find a place in the house when we get our tree taken down, but she sure liked it Christmas morning!

Eating some "apples," aka pears at her new table. Everything is an apple to Laney, at least every fruit. We just recently learned the difference between apples and "nanas." And, let's be honest, she still calls bananas apples half the time! But she is a fruit monster, whatever kind of fruit it is!

As cool as the new picnic table was, it was nothing compared to what Uncle Charlie got her. He was definitely the winner as far as Laney's favorite Christmas morning presents! He got her this Tigger, and once she figured out how it worked, she was all about it! Though, she wasn't too sure whether to dance or bounce or clap, so she tried to do all three and ended up looking like she was having some sort of seizure... what can I say, she gets her dancing talent from her mommy!

Anyway, so those are the highlights from our Christmas in Columbia. We also had Christmas dinner with the family that didn't leave for Springfield that afternoon (Ellen, Sam & Charlie). I cooked a ham and everything, broke out the table cloth... it was very fun! I know there are lots of other good pictures from Christmas at Grandma & Grandpa Price's, but they are on Ellen & Ruth's cameras; we just grabbed whichever camera was closer! So, if I ever get those pictures, I may do another post! I will definitely post soon with pictures from Christmas in Springfield, and New Years!! Stay tuned...