Christmas 2012

Hudson had a wonderful Christmas this year and it was a lot of fun watching him running to things, ripping open paper, and really enjoying himself. He definitely got spoiled, but what else is new? ;)

Christmas Eve was spent at my parents' house with them, my grandparents, and my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Frank. We had a nice (lighter than normal, thank goodness) dinner, enjoyed time together, and watched Hudson dig into his goodies.

I made a WHOLE BUNCH of cherry chip loaves and gave one to each household on Christmas Eve and day.

I always worry about giving things to people when I can't taste them (especially when baking) but so far everyone has said they have tasted great, so...whew! Thank goodness!

Joseph got me a new lens for my camera and had it delivered Monday so I could use it for Christmas!! I've been wanting a new one for a while and he was so thoughtful to get one. This lens is awesome!! I'm still figuring it all out, but it's one of the best and SO much better than the standard kit lens I've had for 2 years now. It's the 50mm f/1.8. I highly recommend it. It won't break the bank either.

Of course, I had to test it out on the way to Gadsden Monday afternoon.

For this picture to be as clear as it is, going down the highway at about 65 mph, tells you how good the lens is. Of course, it was taken from the car and I just randomly shot it, so it's not gonna be perfect. But with my standard kit lens....it wouldn't have been near as clear as this.

Checking out a new toy with daddy.

He loves clapping for everything. He'd play the xylophone on the side, then stop and clap. This went on for a while.

This is a perfect box for putting on our heads!

I want in, daddy!

Like I said....it went on for a good while...

I didn't play with the aperture on my lens at all(who has time to adjust the settings while chasing a toddler??), so the whole shot isn't really in focus in a lot of the pictures. The 50mm lens is great for portraits and food shots, 'cause it'll give a beautiful blurred background while focusing on one thing when you want it to. Well....I should've put it on AV mode and upped the aperture a little(making the whole shot in focus) but I just left it on auto without flash. 

Oh well.

That's a cute face right there, though.

Hudson likes saying "Hi" to everyone and everything. He'll point to something, wait for you to say what it is, then he'll say "Hi" and wave. Silly.

Silliness with G-Nana.

Playing with Russ-man.

Whatcha got, Papa?

Sue-Sue enjoying one of Hudson's gifts...they're these really cool magnets from QVC.

I think he likes the vacuum! ;) How cute is this little Dyson??!! Thanks Aunt Lisa and Uncle Frank!

He's used it all over the house!

 This looks like a good sale!

Santa was good to Hudson and brought him several goodies. Nothing too big to take up even more room. ;) He knows Hudson loves to build and brought him these awesome blocks.

And learning puzzles and a band in a box! Cool!

Waking up to see his presents!

Obsessed with his shopping cart and groceries. He's playing with them as I type. :)

Loves his instruments!

For Christmas lunch with Joseph's family, I made green bean bundles,

and good ol' sweet potato casserole. YUM!

Rockin' his necklace. 

Handsome boy!

Aunt Lissa and Uncle Johnny playing Santa.

Everyone was so thoughtful and spoiled Hudson with some awesome gifts. I was so happy to see all the learning toys people got him. I was hoping for gifts like that. ;)

 He's loving everything he got!! He'll just run from one thing to the next, hitting up every toy several times throughout the day. 

Of course, the doggies always win out. They're his favorite.

Curious about this tug o' war situation.

He was getting a little upset that the doggy wouldn't give him the toy.

HA!

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas together and we are just blessed beyond measure with the best family and friends. I love the giving spirit of the season, and the wonderful togetherness.

And I sure do love my new lens and perfume from my sweet hubby. ;)

Sampled this in a Birchbox a while back...smells SO good! I also got to order me an Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette so I'm really excited to try that out!

But it's really not about the gifts under the tree or the money in the envelopes. It's about the precious time with the ones you love most. Taking time to be together, say I love you, make sweet memories, and remember the reason for the season.

Happy Friday, friends!