Christmas in the life of a Smithson

The red and green paper countdown chain, shopping, wrapping, hiding presents, anticipation, excitement, family, friends, church, Santa, food, traveling, and LOVE..... are just a few of the things we Smithsons enjoy about Christmas. We got everything we wanted and MORE!! Sid and I are blessed to have the ability to provide traditions and memories for our children to remember and continue for many years to come. We are also blessed to be able to share the traditions we so fondly remember as children with our own children.

Our Christmas actually began on Monday the 21st by exchanging gifts with my birth mother and her husband, David. Although I have only known Carolyn since 1999, our bond is one of 29 years! She has always made me feel so welcomed into her life and into her family. This year she and David gave us numerous gifts, but the best and most anticipated gift of all is a Disney Cruise to the Bahamian Islands...in October 2009! I am not sure if Sid and I are more excited or if the kids are! Thanks a bunch Carolyn and David!

Carolyn and Lainey

Christmas eve we went to the 9:00 pm service to accommodate Sid's work schedule, and it was wonderful. Mom, dad, Dayna, Brad, and Lilly Anne joined us for church. Lainey was very well behaved and sang nicely throughout the Christmas hymns! We thought going to church would make the boys extremely tired....not so much! They were up until 11:45!

The Snug Bug at the Christmas Eve church service.

Christmas morning Logan came into our room around 9:00. It was still as quiet as a mouse around our house! Everyone was worn out from our late night Christmas Eve! When it finally dawned on Logan that it was Christmas morning, the morning he had been counting down to for 364 days, he was down the stairs in a flash! He came back upstairs to report that Santa left a lot of presents, but he only saw gifts for Liam, Lainey, and dad. After convincing him to wake up his brother and going back downstairs to look for his name on the presents, he finally found "more than I asked for!"

Our tree after Santa visited!

We all got what we asked for plus a few things we needed! It was so much fun to see the children open their gifts. Logan stacked all of his gifts in nice, orderly stacks. Liam opened the gifts as soon as they were passed out to him! Lainey did extremely well opening her gifts, then playing with the paper! Logan got the Handy Manny Transform Tool Truck he asked for as well as a Nintendo DS, Aqua Globes, Life Is Good shirts, a Georgia Bulldog jersey and hat, a digital camera, Nerf shooters, flat screen Lite Brite, and tons of movies. Liam got the Handy Manny talking tool box, Handy Manny TV repair, a Handy Manny shirt, shoes, Hot Wheels, Triple Tower race track, a Lite Saver, and movies. Lainey got a push toy, a baby doll, some clothes, some movies, and some toys to chew on! Sid got socks, undershirts, Life Is Good shirts and p.j. pants, movies, Crocs, New Balance shoes, flashlights, workout equipment, and more. I got perfume, an iPOD shuffle, electric scissors, a homemade peg board for all of my crafts, and more! Not only was our house full of children, poopy diapers, wrapping paper, and presents, but it was also full of LOVE! All of the times I had wished for a nap or the children to take a nap and all the times my husband was acting like the children, the mess in my clean house was a reminder of how short life really is and how much I truly enjoy being a mom and wife. It was the best Christmas I can recall.

Logan's organized stacks of presents. I wonder where he gets that from?

Logan with food for the kitchen set.

"Aqua Globes will water plants for two weeks and you don't even have to lift a finger!"
Logan has memorized many infomercials, but this is the one thing "we have to get!"

Liam also got food for the kitchen set.

Liam opening the Handy Manny TV repair.

Logan with the ONE toy he asked Santa to bring for Christmas, a Handy Manny Transform Tool Truck.

Lainey opening some clothes she got from Santa.

Logan with his surprise gift ~ Nintendo DS!

Lainey and daddy looking at her Newborn Cabbage Patch Doll.

Several hours after opening gifts from Santa, grandma Barbara (Sid's mom) dropped in for a little while with a lot of gifts. It also happened to be meltdown time for Liam and Lainey, also known as "I need a nap, NOW" time! Our visit with grandma Barbara was short lived, but the candy she left is being devoured as I type!

After the children took their nap and I finished cooking, we went to my parent's house. Our 4:30 meal turned into a 6:30 meal, but I was prepared! I made several snack dips to munch on while we finished preparing dinner. Dinner was awesome, with Honey Baked Ham, sweet potato souffle, German potato salad, green beans, rolls, and coconut cream pie and Dayna's triple chocolate cheesecake for dessert! Papa Dan(Sid's ex step-dad) and Rachel came to join us for dinner and the exchanging of gifts. It is always great to hang with Dan!

With full tummies, it was time to open presents! Logan helped Gigi pass out the gifts, and boy were there a lot of gifts! My parents always spoil us with wonderful gifts. Sid and I, as well as Dayna and Brad, scored a new laptop! This was awesome since the last laptops they gave us had quit working this summer. There were so many gifts given by all, I couldn't possibly list each one of them! It was an awesome evening and everyone was happy, well rested, and FULL! Dayna and I are so lucky to have been chosen by two wonderful people! We couldn't have picked better parents ~ maybe healthier, but not better!! :)

Gigi and Logan handing out presents.

Sid and Liam waiting for their presents.

Logan opening presents at Gigi and Papa's house.

The day after Christmas we got up early to begin our trip to South Georgia. First we went to my dad's parents house in Perry. Grandma D had tons of yummy food prepared as she always does. We opened gifts and lucked up with some money. It was great hanging out with Grandma D and Pop. Our visits are always so short.

Great Pop and Lainey hanging out.

The great grandchildren with Grandma D and Pop.

Lainey, Liam, Logan, and Lilly Anne

Warner Robins was our next stop. Grandma Lil and Grandpa Bob had a house full! This is the one time of year we get to see almost all of our family. With mom having 4 brothers, whom are all married, and almost all of them have 2 or more children, whom may also have a spouse, and many live in Florida ~ to get everyone together in one spot at the same time would be a miracle! Although everyone was not there, we still had a blast hanging out with the people we do not get to see very often. Opening gifts with the Rodenroths is always a production because there are so many of us. This year we said we were not exchanging gifts. Grandma said she was only doing gifts for the kids. YEAH RIGHT! Almost everyone left with a gift and the kids really racked up! Not only are the gifts a production, but the food is like going to a gourmet buffet. Everything tasted so good (when I finally got to eat...I was on Liam duty!) It was so much fun, but we had to leave due to Sid's work schedule requiring him to be at work by 6:30 the next morning. It was around 11:00 when we got home and we were beat! Today we are just hanging out in our p.j.s all day and not leaving the house...well unless we feel the need for some DQ ice cream!

Grandma Lil with Dayna's baby, Lilly Anne.

As always, we missed Sid's dad Noel, whom Lainey carries his name as her middle name. He sent us a very nice monetary gift, but to have him here would be better than anything we could dream of! Maybe soon it will be in our schedule and budget to take a trip to Texas to visit Sid's relatives!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Our Christmas was the best thanks to our friends and family. Thank you for all of the prayers that allowed us to be here together and have a safe and healthy holiday. If you did not get a Smithson Family Christmas card and would like a copy, please send us your address! We love you all!

At CHRISTmas with love,

The Smithson Family