Christmas 2010

We have been going non-stop 'Christmas-celebrations' since Dec 11th. The festivities started with the 'Cooke Christmas' (my mom's side of the family) at my aunt and uncle's in Edmonds. This family gathering is full of traditions including the 'wrap game' and 'dice game'. Grandma Kay (my mom's mom) was able to come up from Arizona so it was a special treat for us to see her and for her to see Niyah!

Christmas Eve found us at Candy and Greg's home (our upstairs). We had cousin Eric and Helen and their two boys over for a delicious dinner,thank you Sharon, of "spicy shrimp and coconut noodles. And to top it all off... peanut chocolate cake. Yum. A once-a-year treat for us all! The men worked outside chopping wood in the snow, and the ladies enjoyed visiting and preparing the food. We ended the night with gifts around the wood stove and watching "The Ultimate Gift."

Niyah enjoyed her Christmas morning this year with a bowl full of oats and whole milk. One of her favorite breakfasts. However, the rest of us enjoyed a filling Christmas meal prepared by my mother-in-law, Candy. Delicious. We then packed up and heading over the mountains to my grandma and grandpa's (GGma and GGpa to Niyah) house in Edmonds.

Christmas morning by the tree

Happy to be at GGma's and GGpa's

The day-after Christmas we were at my folks house in Snohomish. We had a nice time with my parents, my brother's family, and my sister. Wonderful food accompanied the day as well of coarse. It is fun to see Niyah and Zealand interact more and more as they get older.

Story-Time with Popii

Then we were back home on Monday just in time to unload our car and get changed for the two-day 'Carey Christmas'. This year we started at Greg and Candy's (my in-laws ) house and our upstairs since we live in the same house :). Tradition has it that we sit around the fireplace and sing Christmas carols while eating a coconut-covered-icecream-ball with a birthday candle in it. The last one to have the candle burn is the winner. And this year.... I can claim the winners title! :) I wish I had some pictures of this time together, but unfortunately I don't. In any case, it was a fun night, as always with the Carey's, and the next morning held more fun...
...The Carey Christmas continued with breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa Carey's (aka nana and papa) in Wenatchee. Grandma is quite the cook and hostess so everything was delectable. Homemade cinnamon rolls topped it all off. We then began the 3 hour extravaganza of "The Carey Homemades". Every year we each have one person we home-make a gift for. This year I had my sister-in-law Sharon (great name to draw!). I loved making something special for her. And come to find out; she had my name to make something for. It is a very fun tradition, but also a lot of work and 'mind-time' throughout the year to figure out what to make.
Both Carey and I love our gifts this year.
The night ends with dinner and then stockings. Full days, but oh so fun. And thankfully, Niyah was holding it together with all these days of extra activity!

Sharon made me this suitcase full of craft supplies- so cute and useful!

Aunt Patsy made Carey this amazing, cozy blanket

Then last, but not least, we had our 'McPherson' Christmas here in Leavenworth. It was a fun day at the homestead with the family. The kids had a blast playing together (as usual) and the adults had a nice time sitting by the fire and visiting between meal-prep and kid-care times :).

And so that concludes our Christmas celebrations with family for 2010. Wow.
Happy New Year to all.