Christmas 2011

Does this look like the face of a little girl excited about opening Christmas presents?  In all fairness, Beth had just woken up...  All three of the kids started opening gifts with less enthusiasm than their mother expressed:

But, of course, they got into the swing of things pretty quickly:

We spent the first week of our northern Christmas visit with Hope's family.  Christmas day started with opening gifts at the grandparents house.  Here's Hope's parents, Rick and Ann Pruden, sharing a conversation at our stop later that day--the Pruden family Christmas and Hope's cousin Kevin's house:

Below, Beth and Stephen share a goofy smile with their cousin Tatum:

Here is the craziness that was the kids' table for the Christmas dinner:

At a quieter moment, Hope's grandparents Don and Kay Pruden posed with their great-grandchildren who were at this party:

And, of course, our little camera-lover Beth with her cousin Alexandria Pruden:

More gifts were exchanged at the Pruden Christmas:

We left the following day on the 500+ mile journey from lower Michigan to northern Wisconsin via our beloved UP.  The weather was cooperative (no snow) so we made good time, arriving at my parents' home about supper time.  After eating, we plunged into yet another gift opening event.  Below, Grandpa Bragg tells Stephen about the mystical healing powers of cherry cordial candies:

No, this isn't a zebra-striped ghost, but Grandma Bragg trying out one of her gifts--a "snuggie":

Okay, so maybe the snuggie is a bit oversized, but what a fashion statement!  Warm, too, I'm sure...  Below, my dad and brothers Bill and John check out various gifts:
 

Even though there wasn't a ton of snow up north, there was enough to do some sledding.  Below, Kenny hits the slopes:

Dad showed me a neatly angled stem on a cedar tree in our swamp:

And then more sledding, this time with cousins Emma and Leila (my sister Lisa's daughters):

Here are our kids with some of their cousins, now including Michael and David (that's sister Lisa hiding in the middle):

Grandpa Bragg had several opportunities to use his tractor to remove snow:

And, of course, the obligatory walks in the pines with Oscar, the golden retriever:

Once again, we had a fabulous time visiting, and wished we could have stayed longer, driven less, and visited more people.  We're back in Arkansas now, getting back into the swing of home, school, and work, preparing for the Green Bay Packer playoff run, and trying to say healthy.  Happy holidays!!!