We also put out “Nanny’s Christmas Village” as it will be forever remembered. I blogged about this last year too, but the story is still so crazy to me that I will share it again. Christmas of ’05, Nanny put out all her Holiday decor and informed everyone to take what they wished because this was the last year she was decorating. It had gotten to be too much work on them physically to drag everything out. It seemed that most everyone had left, and most everything was still in place. So, we ended up taking Nanny’s beautiful and fabulous Christmas Village.

Little did we all know that would be Nanny’s last Christmas with us. October of ’06 she passed away after a brief, shocking battle with Cancer. This village will always be so special to us… a way that we can always remember her. How much better that this was actually a gift from Nanny’s heart to us… not just something passed on to us by someone going through her things.

She also gave us this foot tall Cowboy Santa who dances and sings “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” which Haylee loves… :)

Christmas does get more and more exciting the older Haylee gets and the more she understands. She was so much fun to watch this year anticipating the big day.

Our Christmas was crazy as usual, but a bit less this year since we did the Cauthen side gifts Christmas Eve morning, and after the Cauthen extended fam gathering, we were able to go home for a bit before the Howard gathering. We were up about 7 am and got home about 9 or 9:30 pm I think. Not too bad for us…

This was the first Swaringen Christmas that we had everyone present… Ryan has either been in Texas or Iraq the last two years. It was definitely a FULL house with B, Ryan & Eli; Mack, Jen, Jared & Jacob; Chris, Haylee & I; and Mom and Dad. Jacob is already four weeks old…. time flies!! Hopefully, time will fly for me and Wade will be here that fast!

Christmas morning… ready to open the gifts! (See Cowboy Santa behind her?)

Posing with her loot…

Later that afternoon/evening, trying out the new bike!

On Friday before Christmas, Heather, B and Ryan came over to make sugar cookies. It was great fun and we ended up with a huge mess and a few cookies. :) At least that’s what it seemed like looking at the table and thinking all that time and all that mess and this is all we ended up with? :)

Heather and B were unable to contain their competitiveness even amid all that holiday spirit flowing through the air. Just imagine them both sitting at the kitchen table frosting Christmas cookies while talking trash to each other about the other’s decorating ability. They also decided to bring Haylee into the fray by making her choose which one was her favorite. :)

It was a fun night and one that is memories in the making. B and I remember making sugar cookies with Mom when we were growing up… and now I am doing it with my daughter. Very cool.

In other news, my very first niece was born Friday, the 21st… Riley Anne Dorothy… She weighed 7lbs 11oz and was 20 and a half inches long (I think). Haylee has 4 boy cousins on both sides of the family and she is very excited to finally have a girl cousin!

Kelly was reluctantly scheduled to be induced Friday morning at 8:30 am, but after much prayer, Riley decided to come on her own and was born at 8:23 am. :) She came home from the hospital on Sunday, and then we all opened gifts Christmas Eve morning… She definitely had an exciting first few days of her life. :) We went to see her at the hospital and even ran into Aunt Linda there, although Haylee really wanted all of Linda’s attention to herself!

I am now 30 weeks! Only 10 more to go! Once I go back to school, I am pretty sure that I’m going to blink and it will be the end of February and time for the big day. We still have a lot to do to get ready. Hopefully, we don’t let that big day sneak up on us!

Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy New Year!