First Yankee Swap

Usually a few days after Christmas, Grannie hosts another evening of gift opening.  This time our Yankee Swap was on December 29th.  It was the first time that Grannie's four great-grandchildren have all been together.  We all expected it to be a three-ring circus, and for about two hours it was.  But it was great!  The kids had a lot of fun!

Claire, Paige, Levi, Madison

The great-grandkids all got a bell necklace.  Poor Levi, though.  Everytime
he bent over to pick up his bell, it kept getting closer to the floor.

Maddie and Claire couldn't resist climbing on Andrew.

Levi really likes Aunt Mary Robert!

Andrew and his girls

First Music Night

Every year the Gorhams and the Haydens have a big gathering for Music Night.  Everyone gets out their old band instruments, dusts them off, and plays Christmas carols together.  It is always a kick in the pants!

Clockwise from lower left: Phil Hayden, Dan Hayden, Bob Gorham, me and Levi, Steve Wright, Ethan Wright, Garret Wright (on floor), Stephen Gorham, Nathan, Olivia Hayden (guitar), Nicole Hayden (on floor)

Camille Hayden played with Levi a lot.  It was great!

First time meeting a new cousin

Andrew and Mary Robert and Claire and Paige are here!  This is our first time meeting Paige, and she is SO CUTE!  After opening gifts together on Wednesday morning, my dad's parents came over for lunch.

Andrew, Levi, me, and Claire enjoying our stockings

Mary Robert, Harold, Ruth, Paige, Andrew, and Levi

First Steps

Oops!  I almost forgot!  Levi walked on Christmas Day!  We were all finished opening gifts down at Grannie's house, and Nathan was playing with Levi.  Levi turned towards me and started walking over.  Nathan let go, and Levi managed the next four steps on his own.  Of course, the whole house erupted in cheers, and the video cameras came out.  We spent about the next ten minutes trying to get Levi to do it again.  He took a couple more steps a few times before falling down, but what he really enjoyed was being the center of attention.  Way to go, Levi!

First Boxing Day

Since we ran out of time to open gifts together on Christmas, Nathan, Levi, and I did it on the morning of the 26th.  Oh, and Oliver really enjoyed the paper.

First Christmas Day

The best Christmas gift is the little boy on the right!

Before church we opened our stockings.  Levi got this snack container in his.

After church we went down to Grannie's house.

The gang was all there.  Madison wanted to sit with me and read books.

We had Cornish pasties for dinner.  Mine is on the left, Levi's is in the middle, and Nathan's is on the right.

Before trying his first pasty

His first bite was a huge one.

He ate the entire thing!

I think Maddie was wondering what was under that white flap.  She and Levi got along really well all day.

Levi loves his Great Grannie . . . and vice versa, I'm sure.

He didn't mind having a bow stuck on his head, but having a bow stuck to his hand was an enigma.

The littlest Easterbrooks children changed into Christmas PJs before heading home.

First Christmas Eve

For Levi's first Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve with Nathan's family at Bob's house.  Instead of a traditional holiday meal, we had decided to do an Asian theme.  The food was delicious!  Stephanie and Stephen did most of the cooking.  After dinner we opened gifts, and then we all attended the Christmas Eve candlelight service at First Presbyterian.  We had such a wonderful time together!

Ethan, Levi, and Garret posed for a cousins photo with their Santa hats.

Between dinner and gifts, Levi played in this pack 'n' play.  When he started getting a little fussy, Ethan came in to try to help.  First Ethan sang through Levi's "Old MacDonald" book.  Then he read him this Elmo counting book, showing him the pictures and helping him "count" the objects on the pages.  Levi loved it.  It was SO SWEET!

First gift!  Being the cautious kid that he is, Levi took
it slow.  He enjoyed removing bows from packages.

Stephanie helped Garret assemble a Viking ship
while Ethan read an entire joke book aloud.