A Family Christmas

Mark and I flew out of Nashville this morning on one of the first New Year's Day flights {not a huge problem since we were both asleep by 10:00 on New Year's Eve. We are wild!} and we are so thankful for another wonderful holiday back home surrounded by family and friends. Since it's New Year's Day I felt slightly obligated to write a post about the past year and the year to come, but then I ultimately decided that will have to wait. First we must take a moment to celebrate Christmas 2011!

I named that dinosaur "Auntie Tracy, the dinosaur" and I do believe the name may have stuck.

Mark and I lost a beloved member of our family last week - our small digital camera. It has been so faithful to us the past five years despite being dropped in sand dunes and covered in snow. I'm seriously hoping we didn't just have a dead battery since Mark decided to take it apart to fix "the problem". The problem was definitely not fixed, especially since there were three screws still sitting on the table after he had it reassembled.


The handing over of the official "Golf Trophy". From Pete to Dad and now back again due to a loss this past week. In Dad's defense, he was battling quite the head cold.

My cousin Emily

Catie, Rapunzel and I reading a book while I sport my new Great Lake Loons toboggan, a baseball team in Michigan for whom my cousin Alex works.

Alex and my aunt Paulette displaying a brief moment of good sportsmanship during an intense game of Chicken Foot Dominoes

The "Christmas Bottom"... you just had to be there.

Mark and Papaw discussing how Papaw was once a Bounty Hunter. Mark now calls him "the bone crusher"

My Granddad

Me and Grandmother

My Mamaw had this banner made when we were very little and while my mom was rummaging through a box she found it. I promptly hung it in the kitchen window.

Mom and Mark playing their nightly game of Banana Grams

Domino Trains. Looks like Jack has this game in the bag.

And I'm fairly certain that Pete and Mark are actually playing against each other in a game of Battle Ship. This is how we occasionally Christmas in 2011...together yet separate. Thank you Steve Jobs.

So after several days at my parent's in Alabama, we made a quick trip to Knoxville visiting some beloved friends {hi Marta! hi Tiff!} and Mark's siblings, followed by a couple of days in Nashville {once again completing the Pollock-Campbell Triangle}. And now we're in mourning...well, I am. I always find the few days after Christmas to be incredibly depressing and filled with "I want my mommy" meltdowns. But it will hopefully be short-lived since there is so much to look forward to in 2012. And we'll most likely be very sick within 48 hours or so and unable to do anything but cough and sleep. My dad, Mark's mom, and my cousin Alex created the perfect storm of germs and disease this holiday...so if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy these last moments of perfect health while all the germs incubate inside me.