Christmas 2008

As most people know, Christmas in the Northwest was canceled or delayed due to lots of snow. So, Christmas morning, most of Karen's presents for me were still not here because she had ordered them online just before the snow hit a few days earlier. What we did have though was so much fun together. We're both still trying to figure out what kind of traditions we want. She had opened her presents from me on Christmas Eve, leaving our Christmas stockings for Christmas morning. I loved surprising her with a few small gifts. And she surprised me, too. First of all, I pulled a small bag of Fritos corn chips out! It was funny because she had so little here but she had gone to the small grocery store nearby. There were some other gifts but another one I remember was a great bar of soap she had bought in France. Over the next week or so, our gifts trickled in via UPS. Maybe this is the start of a tradition?

This is a picture from Christmas Eve. Karen had just unwrapped a book I secretly bought her while at Disney's California Adventure. It was a bit difficult to slip away from her during our honeymoon to buy her a gift for Christmas, but I was successful--but only for a very short time! The clerk was only about half-done wrapping it as Karen walked back into the store! She was surprised at Christmas, which was nice. I tried to hide things in our small home so she wouldn't find them. Hopefully next Christmas there won't be as much snow--or any snow!--and we won't have to worry about presents not showing up.

And I wanted to add that these special Christmas stockings were given to us as wedding presents from my Mom's very good and longtime friend, Claudia. I remember her from my childhood and she helped my mom through many difficult times in her life. I was so glad she could come to our wedding since it wasn't a sure thing she could make it.