our first christmas away from family

This was the first year that we were not able to spend Christmas with family. It was sad because we wanted to see everyone and we wished everyone could have spent some time with the kids. Although, it was nice to have a quiet Christmas...just the 4 of us because we know that Travis will probably be deployed sometime this year and won't be able to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with us this year.

It was our first Christmas as a family of 4 as well. We are loving having a new addition and are glad that our family is finally complete! I couldn't imagine my life without Parker and Delainey and they just make everything more fun!

Thanks to everyone that sent gifts for us and the kiddos...they were all greatly appreciated and enjoyed and it warmed our hearts to know that you were thinking of us this Christmas while we were away. Our kids were definitely spoiled this year...hopefully they don't think they will have that many presents every year! (Because they won't!)

This year we opened presents from the Guion side on Christmas Eve. It was nice to get to chat with everyone on the phone!
{Parks--ready to open his gifts from Grandpa Lee & Grandma Jammi, Uncle Tyler & Amber, and Uncle Shane}
{we were all anxious to see what this gift was...the UPS man said it had been "talking to him" while he was making his deliveries and was glad to be rid of it}

{it's Mater & McQueen!!!...and boy are they noisy...thanks Uncle Tyler and Amber...payback's a, well you know the rest!}
{thanks for the new chew toy...I mean hat and gloves Grandpa Lee and Grandma Jammi!}
{new teether from Uncle Shane}

On Christmas morning we opened our gifts from "Santa" and us to the kids and emptied out our stockings. Then in the afternoon (our time) and morning (Washington time) we "Face-Timed" with my parents and my sister's family while opening gifts from them! It is so great to get to see everyone...even if it is on the phone! I love technology and it sure does make being far away so much easier to bear! At night we were able to Skype with the McCue/Parker clan. It was so nice to feel like we were there...even though we weren't really.
{Christmas morning in the jammies...they are too cute}


{a HUGE thanks to Papa Kevin and Nonni Donna for the tractor...he loves it, especially because it is "just like Papa's"}


{oh...the sock monkey hat! For those of you who don't already know, I have a strange fear of sock monkeys...I'm not sure why, I just do! My dad is fully aware of this irrational fear and decided that he would take a break from being a mechanic and be a comedian instead...he saw this hat and of course thought it would be an amazing idea to get it for Parks! I have to admit...he looks super cute in it!}
{putting together and taking apart his Napa engine from Auntie Sara and Uncle Chipper}
{cute as ever in her new shirt}

{I LOVE THIS PICTURE...this is a picture my sister took on Christmas night...obviously in Washington, at my parent's house! If you can't tell, that's Parker on the computer screen, we were on Skype with them!}