Looking Back Part II

maybe this will be the last group of pictures for Christmas 2011; but, then again, it might be like my decorations . . . still showing until Valentines Day!

Before I forget, Mimi and Miss Charlotte again were in charge of costumes for all the church's Christmas programs.

and . . .

Mimi attended a very special brunch hosted by Miss Pam who took Mimi's place teaching when I retired.  Now she's also taken my place hosting the East/West Christmas Brunch.  Thank you so much, Pam, for hosting such a beautiful brunch ~ the food was fabulous and your home was beyond beautiful!

Can you tell which one is Miss Pam?

She and Paisley look so much alike they could be sisters instead of Mother/Daughter

Now back to Christmas morning . . .

Guarding the Gate 2011

Southern Girls and their Pearls

Searching for your "little" red bags which contained your "big" Christmas gifts from Mimi and Granddaddy

While ya'll searched, Mimi enjoyed a cup of coffee from her new Christmas gift.

Thanks, kids, this is something Mimi will defiinitely use daily!

Opening the finals gifts of the morning ~ the big red carts.

Hope they come in handy this summer!

Quickly after these gifts were opened, Mimi and Granddaddy dashed upstairs to make our traditional Christmas morning breakfast of eggs, biscuits, bacon, sausage, gravy and fruit.  Then quick showers and we were off to church.  Because Christmas was on Sunday we changed our normal Christmas morning breakfast with the cousins to Christmas Lunch after church.  That way we could all truly celebrate the real reason for this glorious season where it was meant to be celebrated.

We arrived just a little late and since we needed a whole center pew . . . here we marched, new American Girl babies and all, right up to the 2nd pew from the front.  You girls were all perfect little angels sitting so quietly with your babies sitting in your laps listening to every word the preacher said.  After church as Mimi was hurrying to get lunch on the table, Cybie grabbed me around the legs and said, "Mimi, I know why we have Christmas.  It's because God gave us Jesus on Christmas."  Yes, sweet children, may you never forget this wonderful truth!!

Normally, both families of girls stay for a few days after Christmas; but this year things had to be changed a little.  The C girls Mammaw needed to do their Christmas on Christmas night so while they were enjoying dinner and opening gifts with their other cousins 3 hours away at Mammaw's . . .

The rest of us did something Mimi has N.E.V.E.R. (in 63 years) done on Christmas . . .



We drove around 2 towns until we found some place open to eat because the 2 men said they couldn't eat left-overs one more time.  Finally, we found an I-Hop open and that's where we enjoyed Christmas Night Dinner along with a multitude of other travelers and locals who also couldn't eat any more Christmas Turkey.  While we were waiting to be seated, the A girls made friends with some cute little boys through the glass.  One of them and their Mommy came out in a minute and asked Mande if she wasn't a ZETA from UGA.  They were sorority sisters who hadn't seen each other in at least 12 years!  They were traveling south to her parents and stopped at the only place they could find open.  Small world!

After our dinner out, we enjoyed a fun game of Pictionary.  Unfortunately, Mimi and Granddaddy were a little slow on the answers (or maybe rough on the drawings) and lost.  AG wasn't too happy about being on our team . . . another big competitor!!

Now about those decorations ~ they're pack away in tubs but the tubs are not exactly where they are always stored . . . well, all the decorations except in the Nest where the tree still stands and the snowflakes are still dangling from the ceiling waiting on that snow.

but we were away right after Christmas and Mimi decided to do a little cleaning where the decorations were down in hopes of keeping those winter blue's away!

Oh well, there's always tomorrow . . .