Christmas at the Richey-Lawson's

After all of our Christmas celebrations with the Murphy's, Nathan drove us across the border to Val and Dave's, where we celebrated Christmas again, and spent the second half of our holiday trip.

It was a banner year for Val and Dave as well, as all of their kids were home for Christmas!  Cody is in the Air Force, and there have been too many Christmases without him, but this was not one of them!

Jake, Lindsay and Madi came, too, as did Kelsey and Matt, who had driven up to Bellingham from Puyallup.

There were lots of gifts, and it was so wonderful to be able to see everyone!  Madi had so much fun with her presents, which included an adorable horse tire swing from her Grandma and Grandpa.  Cody and Jake put it up for her, under a big tree, and she loved it!  She will have great fun on it this summer, under the shady tree.

We got lots of great pictures of everyone, too - not often that we are ALL together!

Lee had decided to get an i-Pad, after giving it much thought, and in preparation for that, he decided to "brick out" his Toshiba laptop.  He decided to give it to Dave, since he was the only one in the family without one.  Dave was very surprised and pleased, and is going to get lots of use out of it, for his business.  Plus, he can now IM with everyone!

One of my favorite things to get for Christmas is family portraits, and Lindsay and Jake gave us great pictures of them and Madi - wonderful!

So, as you can see, we had a spectacular Christmas! 

The day after Christmas Val, Hailey, Lee and I headed to the mall to do some after-Christmas power shopping!  We managed to find some great deals, too! 

We spent lots of time just visiting with everyone.  I was working on a hat for Lindsay, so I brought my knitting along.  After I finished the hat, Val and Dave's little miniature Dachshund, Maxx, tried to climb into it!  Maxx is their only short-haired, shivery dog.  Val suggested that I knit a great big hat like thing for Maxx to climb into.  So, we went to WalMart, and she found some nice thick, warm yarn.  I started to work on the "Map Sack"  When Madi was little, she couldn't say Maxx, so she called him Map.  As usually happens, Madi now says Maxx perfectly, and the rest of us call him Map - hence the "Map Sack".  When it was finished, we put it on the couch and he burrowed right in!  Dave insists that these would sell, but I think that I'd need an army of knitters to make it work.

Cody and his friend Abby, and Trevor, came for dinner on Tuesday night.  It was great to see them and visit with them, too, as Cody had been pretty busy making the rounds and spending time with his buddies while we were there.

What a wonderful Christmas holiday we had, surrounded by the blessings of our family!  Now, if we could just get Jim, Gary and Joyce here for the holidays, it would be totally complete!

Lindsay with her Christmas stocking

Madi, opening the presents in her stocking

Now, what's in here?

Putting her baby in the sling that is attached to her new stroller

Hailey, Jake and Cody, opening presents

Dave's new fishing hat - note the "headlights" on the brim!

Cody and Dave, opening gifts from Lindsay, Jake and Madi

Is this the coolest, most portable fishing pole, ever??

It looks like Dave got one, too!  We saw the way he was eying Cody's!

Happy fishermen!

Madi assists her Daddy and Uncle Cody as they put her horse tire swing up

How fun is this!?  Madi loves it!

Dave and his new (to him) laptop!  He thought that it might have been a joke at first....

But it wasn't!

Kelsey and Matt arrive!

Madi, and Kelsey and Matt's gift to her - a teddy bear with a change of clothes!

Matt and Kelsey opening their stockings and gifts

Kelsey and Hailey

Hailey and her new "signature color" hat

Lindsay's new slippers

Lindsay and Kelsey

And how adorable is this?  Our gift from Lindsay, Jake and Madi.

And a wonderful family picture, too.  Thanks you guys!

Valarie and her girls - Kelsey, Hailey, Val and Lindsay

The kids - in the back row:  Hailey, Lindsay and Kelsey

In the front row, Steven, Cody holding Rylie, Jake and Madi and Matt

The whole group - how cool is this??

A big day for Miss Madi - she was watching a movie on her DVD player and fell asleep.

I'm knitting on the Map Sack, and Maxx is watching, and waiting.

The finished product, sans Maxx

Maxx in the map sack

Cody, Abby and Trevor

Cody and Val

A very merry Christmas and a great holiday, surrounded by kids, grand kids and great granddaughter - it doesn't get any better than this!

Happy new year, everyone!  May you all be blessed with health, family and friendship in 2011.

Christmas at the Murphy's

On December 21st we left San Francisco, bound for Bellingham, WA, via Seattle to celebrate Christmas with Val and Cathi and their families.

The first part of our trip was spent at Cathi and Don's in Aldergrove, BC.  Nathan was on leave from the Coast Guard and was home for Christmas, which was wonderful, since he wasn't home last year.  So, all of our Murphy grandchildren were home, and very excited about the holidays.

Dylan picked us up in Bellingham, and we traveled across the border to Aldergrove.  In preparation for our trip, I had done some knitting - something I love to do this time of year.  I'd made hats, scarves, and knitted backpacks for Patience, Jordyn and Nick, and we'd filled them with some pre-Christmas goodies.  After all, Grandma and Grandpa can't arrive empty handed!

We had lots of fun with the kids as Christmas approached, and the excitement level grew!  Cathi and Don got a baby sitter on Wednesday evening, and everyone older than 6 went out to dinner at Katanas restaurant - a great restaurant, where they prepare the food right at your table.  It was great fun, and delicious as well.  The "littles" stayed at home with a babysitter.
After dinner, Cathi went home to relieve the babysitter and put the kids to bed, and the rest of us went to see the new Narnia movie, which was really good!

Christmas eve was a big day, with lots planned.  For one thing, Santa came for a visit!  We were upstairs and Cathi was reading to Patience, Jordyn and Nick, when we heard jingle bells, and the door opened, and in came Santa, with his signature "ho, ho, ho"!!  Patience was thrilled!  Jordyn wasn't too sure about Santa's appearance, and Nick was not happy about it at all!  But Patience served Santa some eggnog, Jordyn brought him a cookie, and then he gave each of them a present from his big red bag!   Santa got hugs from Patience and Jordyn, but not from Nick, who would not even accept his gift from him.  But, after seeing that Santa had brought him a Thomas the Tank engine train, Nick decided that Santa was OK, after all, and got close enough to him to give him a "high five" and smile! 

Santa had a busy night ahead of him, so he left, and we all went to the annual Christmas Eve service held at the local ice skating rink!  It's a great service, with lots of carolling, and then everyone puts on their ice skates and heads out to the ice.  Patience and Jordyn had their own skates and helmets, thanks to their brother Nathan.  Nathan also had his own skates and he and Sean had a great time skating with their Mom and sisters.  Sadly, Dylan was at work - seems that people like to order pizza on Christmas eve....
Nick was not impressed with this activity, so Lee, Don and I took him home, where we sat in the rocking chair with a cup of eggnog and his favorite Thomas videos.  Everyone else got home about 8:30, then it was off to bed so that Santa could come again, and this time fill the stockings, and bring more presents.

Christmas morning, Patience was the first one up.  The girls had been instructed the night before on Christmas morning protocol - first of all, don't get up till it's light and second, not to come upstairs without an adult.  Jordyn was the last one up, and then we all headed upstairs where Cathi, Don and Nick were just getting up.  Santa left lots of great presents, and the kids had a wonderful time, opening and playing with their gifts.  Lee and I were pretty spoiled, too, as Cathi, Don, Nathan, Val and Dave gave us a gift certificate for an entire wine-tasting experience in Sonoma County for two days and nights!  We can't wait to do that!

Don's parents, Don and Waneta arrived from Merritt with their Christmas gifts, and it was really good to see them.  It was a banner Christmas with lots of happy people!

Nick and his very colorful knitted hat!

Patience and her knitted backpack.

Jordyn with her backpack

And Nick!

Dylan, Nathan, Sean, Don and Cathi at Katanas.  Aren't they a handsome group?

Sean, Dylan, Grandma and Nathan

All of us, after a fun, relaxing and delicious dinner!  Thanks, Dylan, for being the designated driver!

'Twas the night before Christmas....  and the kids listen intently, while we are all listening intently for the sound of jingle bells

Patience giving Santa a big thank you hug

Jordyn gets a gift from Santa

Happy girls!

Nick says: Um.... no thank you!  You are scary!

But finding one of his beloved "choo choos" in the gift from Santa gave him courage to get close

Santa and the Murphy's, all except for Dylan

Ice Skating on Christmas Eve.  Note Nathan's "Christmas mohawk"

Jordyn and Patience, and outfitted and ready to get out on the ice.  The girls have had ice skating lessons, and both of them do really well.

And there goes Patience!

Nathan and Jordyn on the ice

Christmas!  Looks like Santa has been here!

And look what he brought for Nick!

Sean, Christmas morning, passing out gifts

Nick and Woody

I think she likes it!  Patience got an "Amazing Hamster"!

And Jordyn got one, too!

Just what Nathan needed - Sharks socks!

Dylan and Sean got an EB gift card from Nathan

And Don got Canucks hockey tickets from Nathan!

Waneta's gift from Sean

Nathan, Dylan and Don Sr.

Dylan and Sean, reading the scroll that tells them that the family will be going to the Great Wolf Lodge (a huge indoor water park) for three days and two nights of fun!

Grandpa and Grandma receive a wonderful experience!  We can't wait!

This package has everything - even a Limo!  How spoiled are WE?

Merry Christmas, everyone!