The Rose in Our Garden: Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

Christmas was so much fun this year! I am really a little bit sad for the first time that it is time to take down the tree and realize that it is over. I know it will be back in the blink of an eye and next year will be even more fun with Sofia, but this year was amazing! It truly is wonderful to have a little one to celebrate the holidays with! She is so much fun and watching her get excited gets me excited too!!! We had a wonderful time with friends and family and everyone and everything in our lives is such a blessing and I am so very thankful for it all.

Our first celebration was with J.R.'s family. Sofia knew exactly what to do with the wrapping paper and was excited to get new toys and clothes!

Then we had our annual "Women's Party" Christmas style with my mom's sisters and their girls. This is an event we all look forward to every year. We are so lucky to have such a big, loving family for Sofia to grow up with! It's one reason I am content with one child because she has her cousins, my cousins, aunts, etc. that are all there for her to grow up with. It makes me so happy when I see how excited she is to see them all! They are a bunch of fun, loud gals to be around and she fits right in when we all belt out Christmas carols and laugh and hug! What a blessing our family is!

She just couldn't stop hugging my niece, Rayley, or as she says, "Ra Ra".

Our group. My mom and her sisters and sister in law and their girls and my Granny.

Then we had the big one at my Mom and Dad's House! It's always a bunch of loud chaos and begging to open gifts and it is wonderful!!!!! Sofia was a little overwhelmed at times but got the hang of things pretty quick. She absolutely loves being part of the family and jumping right in!

Sam had a little too much turkey!

Making her way through the piles of present remnants!

By the time Christmas morning arrived she was a seasoned pro! Ready to see what Santa left for her and couldn't stop playing with her new kitchen!

Playing a little tune for us on her guitar!

The best thing about the holidays though is time together. She loves her cousins like they are her siblings and they simply adore her! It makes my heart 10 times happy to see her light up and scream their names when she sees them! After years of not knowing if I would ever have my own baby I am still so happy and thankful to God for all we have been blessed with. It is such a content place to be and I never want to lose that feeling. Knowing what Christmas is all about is the real reason it makes my heart happy to celebrate it with those we love.