Christmas

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  It wasn't the easiest one for the Citterbart- Lieu family.  My Grammy has been in the hospital since the Sunday before Christmas, and it was difficult to celebrate Christmas without her there.  And to top it off Samantha had a bad cold that turned into an ear infection, with a fever on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  All that being said we still felt blessed to get to see family and friends, and we felt the love from all those who were also far away over Christmas through cards and calls.  And through all this we were reminded this year that of course the real meaning of Christmas is that Christ came to this world in human form so that He could truly know what it means to experience pain and sickness and struggle.  And ultimately that He could die for the sin and the ugly of this world so that one days these hardships will pass away and through faith we shall be with Him.  Thank you, Lord!

On the Sunday before Christmas we met my parents and Kerri and Eric in the city at Prue's apartment.  It was wonderful to have a meal with Mimi and Prue and to get to catch up with them. Samantha was wearing a party dress, but apparently her inability to crawl in a long dress was enough to force us into the backup outfit. She was not a happy camper- much happier in her romper!

With Grammy in the hospital, we got to spend much of our time at home with Pop-Pop.  Here's Samantha eating with her great grandfather (and Lanie searching for some thrown food in the process-smart dog!)

On Christmas Eve we went to church and then came back home for dinner.  Samantha got to open one present.

She liked the wrapping paper much more than the story.

We got a dusting of snow after it got dark on Christmas Eve, and we woke up Christmas day to a white Christmas.

Christmas morning!  Beautiful tree!

Unwrapping her stocking- even with a slight fever, a cough, and a runny faucet of a nose - she was game for figuring out what all this paper was about.

Buddies :)

We opened lots of presents Christmas morning.

Samantha loved her picnic basket from Grandma and Grandpa!

And then we had our traditional pancake breakfast.  Andrew tried his hand at making an "S" pancake for Samantha (it has been a Citterbart tradition to make letter pancakes- my dad always made "B" and "K" pancakes on special days for us growing up.

A little better after breakfast and a nap!

Samantha's Christmas dress.

All sorts of new presents, and she plays with a pot and a spoon.

Family and a little sicky one.

At least we liked our new Counting Kisses book.

Uncle Mark and Pop-Pop.

Opening up a present from Aunt Jo-Ann- note outfit switch again- Christmas dress that prevented crawling plus sicky baby did not make for a happy little one.

Pop-Pop, Kerri, and Eric

Family :)

S checking out her new baby doll from Nana and Granddad.

After going to the doctor on Thursday and getting some medication for her ear infection S was doing much better.  Here she is hanging with Aunt Kerri after Eric and Andrew left.

Merry Christmas!