A Zoo Crew + One Christmas

Christmas 2009 found the Zoo Crew enjoying the company of our Aunt Barb (great aunt for the younger Zoo Crewers). Barb is usually quite busy during Christmastide, serving as a pastor to her parish in Iowa, but this year she's on her way to another call beginning in January, so she had a nice holiday break. How lovely that she was finally able to come meet the Crew!Bill's gift to me this year was a long coveted Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I was lucky that he gave it to me early enough to help with the holiday baking. Ben & Abbey helped make macaroons--check out the look on Ben's face, watching the quick work my new toy made of the meringue!

Abbey, Katie, Aunt Barb & I enjoyed some girl time doing our fingernails in festive Christmas colors. Abbey even had the honor of painting Aunt Barb's pinkie! Katie painted super cute snowflakes on everyone's nails.

After Christmas Eve services, we fed the reindeer and put out the cookies for Santa.

Of course, no Christmas Eve is complete without the evening Chalet on the Rug (err, table this year). It was fun to include Aunt Barb in traditions that have come down from her side of family, especially since she didn't know we've kept many of them! ;-) Ben was especially ravenous and kept threatening to devour the platters of chow all on his own.

Christmas morning dawned cold & clear, despite the weatherman's dire predictions for ice. The crew gathered upstairs--and it was a good thing Abbey had reminded me to bring my camera UPstairs so I could nab this shot before the chaos ensued!Santa was generous, as were our family & friends. (THANK YOU--notes will follow soon!!) After enjoying a leisurely morning of gift opening, we moved on to other adventures. The boys tested out their new Nerf guns on each other & loaded up Dad's new tackle box with bobbers, sinkers & leaders. We ladies turned our hands to more crafty pursuits and did a little beading; we even helped Aunt Barb make a Christmas present for one of her friends back home.

Aunt Barb was needed back home, so she left us the day after Christmas....but not before she tried her hand at New Super Mario Brothers on wii!

Patrick "interviewed" our illustrious guest with his new video camera, even turning the camera on himself to ask the questions. HILARIOUS!!

If you haven't seen enough...feel free to check out the rest of the photos here: Zoo Crew Christmas 2009.

We hope your Christmas was as fun-filled and festive as ours was...and that you are as thankful as we for the True Gift of Christmas.