Christmas 2008

What a fun time! Marley really enjoyed opening her presents this year, which surprised me. I didn't think she'd show much interest in, but she got really excited. "oh wow" "let me see" "open it" were all squealed out between fits of laughter and clapping. Yes, Marley laughs out loud with her mouth wide open and claps - sound like anyone you know?

i picked up that silly santa hat for $1 at giant eagle on xmas eve getting some last last last minute things. she loves it. has been wearing it all the time. i wish i would have thought to get one sooner because we could have had alot of fun with it!

sunday before christmas, we had the shipe family party at aunt cyndi's house. it was great seeing everyone, and marley got to play with her 2nd cousins and meet the new puppy Biscut. of course, she was tickled to bits to see him. we had a wonderful surprise when our cousins from georgia, colby and ashley, showed up unannounced! i haven't seen them in years :) we all exchanged gifts, and marley received two baby dolls from taylor - -she's been taking such good care of them too. giving them lots of love since we came home. thanks taylor!!

we spent christmas eve at the dadich homestead. marley loves loves loves her cousins and she had a blast! she sat with jonah (who had spent the morning in the ER) on the couch and watched some Dora. She followed aidan around as he pretented to be Santa. she was up baby carter's butt if she could get near him. she tried lots of new foods like a bite of shirmp, briskit and peanut blossom cookies. guess which one was her favorite? can you find the picture? after supper the kids changed into their christmas pj's and we opened gifts from grandma & grandpa, the bakelaars, the dadichs and uncle andrew. then it was off to our house to get into bed and await SANTA!

since we both were sick with the flu/cold, we slept in A LITTLE. but marley noticed the presents under the tree the minute i set her down on the floor. she pointed and said "oh look", and then even took an ornament off the tree. that was the very first time she had touched the tree too! again, she got pretty excited opening presents. but once she got to a book, we had to stop and read it front to back - - LOVE THAT SHE LOVES BOOKS! and the dora toothbrush was never far away. but she really shocked me with the sit and spin. she took one look at it, got really exited and jumped right on it and started to try to spin it correctly!! i didn't even know she'd ever seen one before, let alone ridden on one.

later that day, grandma and grandpa and drew came for christmas dinner. it didn't go as well as i'd hoped because i was so sick, but there was hot food to enjoy with our loved ones and we're thankful for that!! oh, and the rum caked turned out NICELY . . . . grandpa and drew took naps after dinner, and you can see from the one picture marley was trying to get drew to play with her.

we hope that these holidays were as special and as memorable for each of you as they were for us and we wish you all the best in two thousand and nine!!