Three Christmases

Elaina was able to enjoy a little more about Christmas this year, not necessarily the Christian significance, but she did seem to enjoy opening presents and stockings.

She might have felt like she was getting mixed signals about the presents. Three different times (once at our place, once at the Wades', and once at my parents'), we shifted from saying no-no anytime she approached or touched a wrapped present to putting them in her lap and coaxing her to rip off the wrapping.

Here she is with her favorite present from Mommy and Daddy: a ladybug hairbrush. She kept confusing its function with that of her toothbrush.


We left on Tuesday the 22nd to begin our Christmas travels. With Elaina, we knew the trip would have to be split up. We stopped in Charleston, WV Tuesday night where we had an interesting encounter with a local.

We were sitting in the restaurant waiting for our dinner, minding our own business with an adorably cute daughter. An older (and perhaps confused) gentleman slowly passed by and said loudly, "that's a fine-looking boy you've got there. Just wait, he'll be playing linebacker for the Mountaineers someday."


"Not unless they change some rules," I mumbled to Victoria. I still don't understand how he looked straight at our pink-bibb-wearing, earring-adorned daughter and saw boy.


We stopped in briefly at my parents on Wednesday to visit with my Grandparents while they were still in town. Elaina had met Great-Grandma Rust previously, but this was the first time meeting Great-Grandpa Rust.


After a brief visit with my grandparents, we made our way up to Washington, IN to see Victoria's family. Victoria has been decorating gingerbread houses with our nieces, Sydney and Addison, for the last few years. This year was no exception. Elaina also got to join her cousin's tradition of feeding the reindeer in Grammy's and Papaw's front yard. I'm always surprised Jim hasn't been able to bag rudolph yet (if you look closely you can see him hiding in the bushes, frustrated that his girls keep disturbing the reindeer).

A new experience this year at the Wades was getting to decorate cookies that were cut out with Sydney's new doll-shaped cookie cutter.

I was especially proud of my creative touch with this one:

Here's the '09 Wade Family Christmas Photo:


On Sunday we made it to Newburgh in time to attend my parents' church and visit with folks there.

While visiting with my family Elaina used a new word correctly. She had been playing nicely with her 7 month old cousin Jacoby (who wouldn't get along with that smiley little guy?), but then Jacoby made the mistake of playing with the toy cookie jar that was just like Elaina's at home.

"No-No!" she yelled at him while lunging forward.

We tried not to laugh.

Here's the '09 Rust Family Christmas Photo:

We started our drive back on New Year's Eve and split up the drive, staying once again in Charleston, WV. After an 11:45 fire alarm, partiers shouting outside our room around 1:00am, and party horns outside our room at 3:00am, Victoria and I resolved never again to stay in a hotel on New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year!