Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad, everyone! I just spent the past four days in Grand Rapids, Michigan with the Harmons, and I had a blessed time! This is a shot of me that Joe snapped while I was walking downstairs at Joe's family Christmas gathering. What do you get when you add six kids, their parents, their spouses, twelve grandchildren, great grandmother, and great aunt together, plus some tapas, vino, and about a foot of snow? A Harmon Family Christmas, of course! It was really a fun time!

My soon-to-be-niece, Bella, and I: our first picture together since July! She really is looking good, and is walking again!

Bella and her buddy li'l Joey Harmon. I love his red hair!
They are both such cute and well behaved babies!

Here's another Harmon baby... Nathan has now been officially tagged on our blog! This one's for Uncle Joe :)

I got a special delivery while we were waiting for our presents by the tree: li'l Donny in a Santa Bag. He was "playing guitar" all night. I have a video of him playing guitar that I will try to post another day perhaps; for some reason, my videos from the weekend are not posting. I need my technical difficulty man/fiancee to come and help me with those things. For now, this picture will have to do!

Nancy, Joe's mom, has a new Nativity set this year, where all the figures are children dressed as the parts of each character for a Christmas pageant. It is so cute! Here she is showing it to Lauren and Gracie, more of my nieces-to-be. Of course, did I think of taking a picture of the nativity set to show you all? Oops....

Don, Joe's dad, got a Boston Celtics World Champions Banner. More importantly... he also got his very own Harmon T-shirt designed by my sister, Katie. All the Harmon men received one this Christmas. Of course, those pictures didn't load either :( What's going on?)

Nancy and Don got some nice reading material from Joe and I this year. Nancy got a book called, "Fear Not, Joseph" and Don got "Presidential Doodles." I've decided that I want these books now, too. What can I say, I love a good book. And those are both very good picks!

Joe got the Dark Knight DVD. It comes in this funny Batman mask/case. He thought it was actually a mask though at first, and tried to put it on. Sorry, honey. Didn't mean to trick you :P You would have looked great in it, though!

Joe also got Mario Kart for Wii. We had a lot of fun with the Wii Fit and Balance Board that we got from my mom. I think maybe this time, I will actually like working out.... we shall see!

Joe was in charge of my stocking this year, and I must say, he did a great job! Among other things, some of my favorite items from the stocking were a bottle of Lovely perfume (Sarah Jessica Parker), a "Here Comes the Bride" canvas bag to carry all of my important bridal items in, tropical skittles lipsmackers (yummy!) and a snowman spatula, which I used today to make my famous Swedish Flaskpankaka (okay, maybe it isn't famous yet...) Thankyou, Joe, for making such a wonderfully thoughtful stocking this year! I am so lucky to be yours!

A winter wonderland view from the Harmon's door. Thier driveway was pretty much covered the entire time I was there, except for when Don and Joe went out to plow and shovel. The roads weren't much better. I praise the Lord for a safe and timely trip there and back; when others will be layed over in unfamiliar towns without their families this Christmas, I am able to see both of my families with only a two hour delay. The Lord is so good to me!

Oh! and how could I forget?! The Harmons got to go on a trolley ride to see the lights in downtown Grand Rapids after the eating and present-opening was done! There was hot chocolate and everything! Joe and I were all bundled up and cozy, and I had a great time sitting, singing, and playing with my new nieces, Lauren and Emma, and holding Bella a little bit longer.
Thanks to Susie and Mary for throwing a great Christmas party!

Joe and I wish you all the very best as we end one year, approach another, and celebrate the birth of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ! We hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Erin