Christmas Fun

Jess and Ali brought special Christmas treats for Luke and Burke.

Pearlie discovered Ali cuddling with Moe.
She couldn't stand it and quickly staked her claim as  
Top Dog Over Everything (aka...terrier)!

My incredible brother has a green thumb just like our parents did.  To quote our Dad, "he can root a hoe handle".   Here's a picture my bro sent of his lemon tree...mid-December. He said, 'I don't pick 'em...it's easier to get juice out of a bottle'.

My wonderful brother sent me a surprise Christmas gift.  It's a lamp the honors the River Parishes' tradition of bonfires along the Mississippi River levee on Christmas Eve.  These are spectacular constructions and stretch for miles along the river. Need I say, there is some serious partying all along the River Road when those fires get lit, gumbo is served, and booze flows freely.  I love my brother and my lamp...and that tradition.

I sent a gingerbread kit to Jess and Ali, thinking it would be a fun project for the holiday season.  Jess snapped a picture of their final efforts...and it looks EXACTLY like the one in the catalog.  Either these kits are foolproof, or these kids are darned talented! 

Our annual Christmas party was over-the-top fun, including gumbo, hay-rides, a moving show-stopper performance by Jess, Burke's Rudolph, Warren's annual reprise, Luke's O, Come All Ye Faithful, group singing, the children's Away in a Manger, 125lbs of food donations for Caritas, the active soldier in our midst, 'The 3 old Farts' finale, our first annual Finally Farm Flash Mob, four generations of the Gilliland family, the Rudolph family's celebration, Jack's impromptu visit, 67 friends and family from 2 to 82...this, and more, made our Christmas bright.  We are so grateful...

...the lights of my life...

...2 more of those lights...

...and another...

and another!

The most wonderful grandchildren in the world sport goggly-glasses from their stockings.

Burke is tickled watching Uncle Jess "get his groove on" to Just Dance, 3 for Wii (Luke's Christmas gift).

In the last 5 days we hosted an annual Christmas party, shared our family Christmas, attended my choir's Christmas performance, and hosted the departmental Christmas party!  We look forward to Christmas Day with family in Dallas, but are glad our holiday is done.  As for me, I'm chomping at the bit to take down and put away until Christmas, 2012.  Let the UN-decorating begin...

Until next Christmas...