Christmas 2001

Christmas at our home. No snow yet. No expense spared on holiday decorations, either. I love Christmas. Its especially nice when expectations are focused on time and fun with the family rather than getting the right gift for the right person at the right store for the right price at the right time in the right color and the right wrapping. Thankfully, my beautiful and wonderful wife has minimal expectaions from me and allows us to have fun and time with the family. She's my favorite gift of any Christmas.

The tree getting the first round of decorations. We always get the soft, thornless trees. Of course, thsi costs a few extra dollars (about $50) but is much friendlier when applying lights and decorations. Saves money on bandages and time from avoiding time consuming pine needle extractions. Note Junior carefully placing a cherished ornament on the tree.

The three Christmas Eve revelers - my little girl and my two nephews from my brother's family. Junior's a little chagrinned due to the chasm separating the minute-to-minute interests she shares with her cousins..

Here's Junior in the thick of the opening tradition. Our tradition (I think shared between me and my betrothed) requires no present opening until Christmas morning. Therefore, Christmas morning is much antipated. Without our intervention, the wrapping, which took 10's of hours to put on, would be removed within mere minutes.

Now, finally, is what we've all awaited. A beautiful, thoughtfully wrapped package. Note the multicolored ribbon and the hand made bow. No cheater bows here. Also drink in the consideration that went into the festive, yet understated tag for announcing to whom this tastefully adorned holiday token of cheer will be presented.

The Whole Christmas Family (most anyway)

Here is the whole family (most of it anyway). From the right is my brother, my mother, my sister-in-law, my older nephew, my younger nephew, me with the shirt and tie, my beautiful and less than patient daughter, and my wonderful wife. Behind us are some really old pictures of other family members. There are also a couple of funny bottles, a big black one and a big orange one (behind my wonderful wife's head). I broke the orange one when I was about ten. I glued it back together and no one to this day knows. Yo baby (that's what I say when I'm getting one over on everyone)!

Here is the tree with its lights on. As a rookie with the camera, I have not figured it out yet. Perhaps if I used a tripod, I could have made this better. However, it has that Martha Stewart style of purposeful blur.

Merry Christmas and a stressless, enjoyable Year of 2002!