A Christmas at Home

I know I should be posting about my New Year's resolutions today.  IF I were, it would include something about eating better, working out more, making more time in my day to connect with friends back home, oh and blogging a little more regularly!  BUT....I haven't posted about Christmas yet, so those New Year's resolutions are going to have to be put on the blogging backburner for a few more days.

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year.  I look forward to it now just as much I did when I was a little girl, perhaps even a little bit more.  I have enjoyed carrying many of the traditions from my childhood into our family.  Josh hasn't been quite as thrilled about my Christmas traditions.  I'm pretty sure he could do without sending Christmas cards, cutting down a Christmas tree, getting a new ornament for the tree every year, and perhaps his least favorite, new matching pajamas for Christmas Eve.  But these things are important to me and Christmas just doesn't feel complete without them.  Luckily, he's been pretty obliging these past two years about traditions, even if he does them a bit unenthusiastically.  We're working on it.  :)

On Christmas Eve, we gathered at my parent's home for their annual open-house party.  There was lots of good food and as always, a birthday cake for Jesus.

We especially enjoyed being with my Gramma and all of her grandchildren.

We then headed over to Grandma Scurlock's house for Christmas Eve chili, gifts, Christmas carols, and a whole bunch of fun.

Sissys-in-law

Then it was time to head home and open up our new PJ's!  Josh just loved them.  He has already put in a special request for a full onesy for next year.  :)

On Christmas morning, we spent some time at my parent's house opening gifts with my family.

Brother, Sister, Me

And then it was off to Josh's sister Brooke's home for a homemade breakfast of biscuits and gravy and some great time with our nephews.

The Whole Gang!

Josh and Caleb

Our Christmas morning was busy, but we weren't done yet.  We went to my Gramma's for Christmas dinner.

 And we took my Mom's annual Christmas card picture while we were there. This year's theme was "Ugly Sweater Christmas."

Our last stop for the night was at Josh's Dad's home.  I don't have any pictures from there, but we enjoyed the company of the Scurlock family and ended the evening watching Warrior, which was a surprisingly good film.

I hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful and that as we ring in 2012 tonight, we can all look forward to a happy and healthy new year. 

As for the Scurlock's, we are flying back to Grenada in the morning and we are excited to spend a few days together on our island before Josh's last term of basic sciences begins.  God has truly blessed us and we will always look back on 2011 with the fondest of memories. 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Tis the Season

Josh's finals for Term 1 came and went.  He did very well on all of his finals and we were both thrilled with his grades for Term 1.  What a relief it was to make it through his first term of medical school!  We only allowed ourselves one day after finals to relax before flying back to California.  Our flight out of Newcastle left very early in the morning, but I didn't mind.  I was so ready to be back on US ground. 

We were picked up at LAX by Josh's Dad and step-Mom.  They drove us the two hours home to Bakersfield.  We decided to stay at my sister-in-law Kristin's home.  The first couple of days were spent visiting family and friends, catching up on sleep, and getting some much needed doggie time! 

Abby, Oliver, Doyle, & Pip

But after about three or four days, I decided that Christmas could not possibly happen if we didn't immediately get a Christmas tree.  Now, in the Fairman family, it is always tradition to cut down your Christmas tree from a Christmas tree farm.  However, I had a difficult time convincing Josh that cutting one down was necessary.  So to the generic parking lot with Christmas trees we went.  I don't know if the sales person was just really good, or if Scrooge had gotten ahold of my Christmas spirit for the night, but to Josh's and my surprise, I picked the first tree we looked at.  I guess I can't complain too much, we still got a great looking tree.

Next up on the list was taking it back to Kristin's house to be decorated.  A Christmas tree is never complete without lights, ornaments, and of course a star!

My handsome star hanger upper.

My Mom has always done an annual Christmas letter and card for all her friends and family.  Now, with a family of my own, I decided that this tradition was something I wanted to carry on for myself.  So I had Christmas cards made and sent them out to all our close friends.  Here's what the card looked like.

I had so much Christmas shopping to catch up on when I got home, that Christmas Eve was here before I knew it!  Yet another tradition (can you sense a theme here?) is getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve to hang your stockings in for Santa Claus.  I think Josh was a little embarressed of my childish ploys (thats nothing new), but he played along well and was such a good sport for the pictures.  Here's us in our new Christmas PJ's.

This was the first year where I actually got to stuff stockings.  It was so thrilling!  Santa was good to us.



Christmas day is always a busy time for us.  We are blessed to have our families so close to each other (all in Bakersfield), but sometimes that makes for a very hectic holiday.  In order to make it to all our families houses, we had to wake up fairly early on Christmas morning.  Some of us were not ready to get up. :)

But once he saw that there were stockings and presents, he cheered up rather quickly.

Kristin, Me, Josh in front of the tree.



Josh and I both got new wool coats for each other for Christmas.  A very fitting gift since we live in super cold England.

Next up on the list of things to do was Christmas morning at Dad Scurlock's house and then breakfast and presents at Mom and Dad Fairman's. 

Opening presents at Mom and Dad's

Josh getting a little Pip loving.

After breakfast, back to Kristin's we went to get ready for the day.  Dinner at Grandma Wetterholms, dinner at Dad and Donna's and dinner at Grandma Catie's were all on the agenda.  And we were able to make it to all of them.  It was a wonderful first Christmas.