Christmas Part II

Here's Christmas post...part two!

After I arrived in Nashville and saw that excellent show that was Garth Brooks.  I got up the next morning and drove to Knoxville to have Christmas with Bomp and BR (Taylor's family).  And I was so excited to get to meet my two sweet nephews!!!!  And as expected, they were SO DANG CUTE!!!!  Love them!  I made it in time to watch the boys "open" their Christmas presents...AKA play with the boxes and tissue paper :)

Jack (18 months) playing with his new Recycling Dump Truck!!  Teaching the kids to go Green!

Sweet baby Andrew (4 months)

 Who needs toys when you have tissue paper?!?!

Jack and Aunt Katie :)

After the boys opened their presents it was bedtime!  We then had a nice Christmas dinner and as always had a fun time opening everyone's gifts!  We missed Taylor and Thomas at Christmas as they were deployed to Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan.  But even though they were over seas, they managed to be together on Christmas Eve.  Taylor took a few flights to different bases in Afghanistan to check on some of his troops flying security on a few of the flights.  He was able to spend a few nights with Thomas.  I was so happy they were able to be together for the holidays :)

 My sister-in-laws...Catherine, Jennifer, and I



After a wonderful Christmas in Knoxville I drove back to Franklin on Christmas Eve.  We went to 4:00 church with the family (which was PACKED!!!) and then headed over to Taylor's mom's house for a Christmas Eve party with friends and friends that have now become family!  I got extra time to hold and love sweet Baby Andrew.  By the end of the night I was SO exhausted since I still had not quite adjusted to the time change!

We headed back home and true to tradition had our annual reading of the Night Before Christmas.  Sadly the pics are on my parent's camera (which means we'll never see them :)  But Dad read the book to Kelly and I before heading to bed.  These little traditions are very important to me...my family laughs, but I asked for the book for Christmas last year so I would have one of my own.  I packed it in my suitcase when we went to Austria for Christmas I had Taylor read it to me in the hotel on Christmas Eve.  There are some traditions you just don't mess with!!

Christmas morning is changing a bit now that we're splitting time between multiple families.  Drew and his girlfriend, Jessica, spent Christmas Eve and morning with her family and then drove to Franklin in the afternoon.  I spent Christmas lunch with Taylor's family.  We had a nice lunch and exchanged gifts with everyone.  After a little more nephew time it was off to the airport to pick up my grandma who was arriving for Christmas afternoon.

So our family celebrated Christmas that evening around 5pm.  We all exchanged our gifts, played some games, ate some of my favorite foods and had a wonderful evening.  I loved being home for Christmas again! 

 And sure enough...here is Santa himself here to hand out gifts :)

 It was a big day in the Peterson family, Drew's dog, Boss, was allowed to come stay for Christmas as a trial run.  He was perfectly behaved aside from the fact that he was scared of everyone, but Drew and ran from us the whole weekend.  Maybe he'll come around!

 He's SO BIG.  Not a dog I'd mess with!!

 Sweet little family:  Jessica, Drew and Boss

 Mom and Mama relaxing after all the presents were opened.

For New Years we decided to have a party at our house.  We did a day of cooking, Mom and Mama did the appetizers and I did the deserts.  Bought some decorations and lots of drinks and we had a fun night with everyone!  Tiffany was our big Left Right Center money winner...I hear she's offereing loans :)

 Nate, Ashley, and Tiffany

 Mom and I celebrating 2011!!

 Mom and my girlfriends :)

Krissy and Alan Bunger (soon to be Mom and Dad!!!!) with Mama.

I had a GREAT visit back home.  And once again, as last time, I ate my way through Franklin.  I got a little taste of everything I was hungry for.  Sadly I wasn't very consistent with my camera hence the fact I'm missing lots of moments when I got to see people...but it's not documented.  So I'm very sorry there are no pictures, but I was so happy to go to lunch with Mary Beth and Weston...thank you for my salad I had been hungry for for MONTHS!!!!  So glad Lyndsey, Nick, Melis, and Michael were able to come over before your fancy New Year's party!!  And thank you Donna, Leanne, Adelaide, and Anne for taking time to go to lunch after church.  It was so fun to catch up with everyone and to hear everyone is doing well!!  And to my little sissy Kelly who evaded my pictures, I'm glad I had the time to spend with you.  Hmmm...clearly I should work on my photography readiness skills.  Oooor maybe if I had the extra five days at home, I would have more pictures of everyone to share.  Note to self:  NEVER EVER fly through London Heathrow in winter or British Airways, period.  Done.

And while at home I shopped and shopped and shopped!  I had so many things picked out for our house if only we lived in the States where everything is so cheap and the style is not ultra modern!!  We're going through stores and Mama and Mom kept saying...are you really going to ship that?  Nooo...I'm not...but I wish I could!!!  So I did a little damage with my Christmas money...and bought an extra suitcase to go home.  Clearly I am very blessed and I am very thankful.

I made it back to Italy and Jennifer was at the airport to pick me up.  I got home and worked around the house forcing myself to stay awake until 730pm.  I woke up at 8am the next day to start a full day at work!  I've been pretty much working full time since then which is good because it keeps me on schedule!

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful Christmas and visit to the States!  It was so great...thank you, thank you!!  And know...I have extra room in Italy. 

Arrivederci, mi amico!