all things christmas

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  Perhaps partially because I'm still a child or maybe because people seem more eager to show good will, but either way it just feels like a happy few weeks.

 We do not allow Christmas to begin officially until after Thanksgiving.  Others in my family who will go unnamed here sneak and listen to the Christmas radio station starting just after Halloween, but officially, we do not collectively begin celebrating until Beach Friday.  This year it was the first Saturday in December before the real festivities began with the local Christmas parade.

 That is the parade face of a 4 year old.  With the parade face of a 30-something year old behind her.

 Gallery Seventeen in Greenville asked if I'd be interested in designing their Christmas window display.  I'd never done this before and really didn't have time, but who could pass up the chance to do a Christmas window display?  I made the ice mountains, clouds and hipster snow monster.  Kayli, one of the gallery owners, did the awesome 2D background with the misfit toys.  

 And then, on the 14th it started....the gifts.  Ginger sent two really cool gifts to Blue and Violet.

 Then came the art department Christmas party at Millhouse.  That's jon super excited about his very own pottery wheel!  He was anxious to get home and make some real art!

 Esnipes' secret Santa sent her future child a sweet sculpture onesie.

 It's always a gift to me to have some extra time to complete all the projects I've started or haven't had time to start during the fall.  These card holders have been taunting me since the semester started and I finally assembled them with some legs into an end table.

 Violet demanded a special "daddy date" where she got to sleep in and then go hiking.

 After hiking we met G and Blue at the outdoor ice rink in Spartanburg.  This kid who has serious trouble with roller skates scooted around on ice like Tonya Harding.  He was an ace.  

 Violet needed the help of the walker thing.  She would fling her little legs back and forth very quickly like a cartoon character before falling down.  Soon she slide the walker away and announced that she didn't need it anymore.  This was a mistake but we managed to make a few laps holding her hands before she was ready to leave.

 Then there was the McAbee Christmas Bash.  There was food and games and these great cupcakes with cream filling inside.

 ...and Santa in Nikes with gifts for all the kidlets from Laura Jean.

 ...and there were McAbees everywhere.  That's mom and brother Daniel.

 Next up was G's side of the family.  More gifts, more toys, more sweets.

 And then Christmas Eve dinner with G's Granny Green.  That's Blue, G's mom, G, Granny Green and Violet.

 Christmas morning was all excitement and joy and excess at our house.

 Followed by more excitement, joy and excess at mom's house for brunch and gifts.

My favorite bookend to the parties and gifts and excited kids and miles on the interstate is Christmas night when everything is calm once again.  It's nice to sit with way too much candy and let George Bailey remind you what's really important.