Merry Christmas From Dixie

Around our house December is a busy month. We celebrate Christmas over 3-4 days just with family. We visit with the extended Hines Family where just the grandchildren exchange gifts and all the adult catch-up on what's going on in the others neck-of-the-woods. We also visit with PawPaw and Nana and that side of the family and We share an evening with Grammy too. We also attend Big Daddy's annual company Christmas party. Something we have never missed in all 10 years. See the Santa pic below. Tater has taken one every year. Not to mention that we also have to celebrate my very own birthday on the 16th too!
For my birthday this year, Big Daddy treated us all to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant we really enjoy. And just in case you are wondering I didn't make my own cake, He order Churros (my fav) for us all and they were yummy! He even sent flowers to my classroom. I invite you to look at the picture of them below, now think about it, don't they sorta look like they were removed from a tripod stand? (Funeral flowers?) When he called to check and see if I had received them I told him I had but that Jefferson Memorial (a local cemetery/funeral home) had called and requested Mrs. Hill's flowers be returned by sunset. Anyways they brought me a great laugh that day and they did make me smile. Tater gave me a couple of I-tunes gift cards. Something he and I like to shop for together!
For Christmas this year I didn't go all out decorating as usually nor did we have our annual Christmas party. I would have to say we are lucky we even had a tree. I don't know how people do it while working too. As for the receiving of gifts I would say we all fared rather well. Steven and I shared a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans as our big gift. Tater racked in a stock of WII games, DS games, a new air-soft gun, a bear skin rug, a bow for hunting, movie cards and of course NFL jerseys, which he collects. As a family we received a new addition to our household, named SABAN! Our newest member of the family. He is a Siberian Husky. In the picture he is 6 weeks old. Tater couldn't believe Saban was really ours. First his smile was as wide as his face, and then tears filled his eyes and just before bedtime he turned and asked us when he was going back. That made me cry. He is all ours I replied and Tater couldn't be happier!
Also this year Tater sang in our Church's Christmas Program. (Yes I saw the sunglasses on top of his head, but for those of you who know him does it surprise you that he has them on?) I just kept praying he wouldn't pull them on under the stage light but you have to remember he has been know to wear them in class because the lights are bright. We all have really enjoyed being involved at church again and what a blessing it has been to us. It really made this holiday season special!
One last picture I included is of Tater with his cousins, all boys! A gift/picture we had made for the grandparents.