Christmas 2008-- The short version that is still long!

Finley in her Christmas Outfit

Has it really already been a week since Christmas? I think we're still recovering. All in all, it was a great Christmas, but I admit it was also a bit exhausting... however, I don't think I'd have it any other way. As much as I say that I hate how "busy" the season is, I also know that I'd feel guilty if we didn't at least try to participate in all the family traditions and enjoy as many aspects of the holidays as possible.

We started Christmas week by having an ornament exchange with Devin's parents, Amy & Dillon's family, Megan and the kids, and Craig and Linda. Tanner & Gabby loved being near Finley and it was fun to see them so interested. They are both really sweet kids!

On Christmas Eve, our family headed to Hennessey for the annual Curran celebration at Grandma Lori's house. We go to church for communion and then have a gift exchange afterwards. Most of Devin's cousins are our age so it is always good to see how their lives have changed over the year. Other than Grandma Lori, no one had met Finley yet so we enjoyed introducing her to everyone.

On Christmas Day, we woke up in our own house and celebrated Christmas on our own in the morning. I loved this! It was so great to enjoy Finley's first Christmas in our own way!

Finley's stocking is literally bigger than her!

We didn't know what to buy our 2 month old for Christmas so Finley ended up with clothes and books. We bought her over 20 books and I can't wait to read all of them to her!!!! My favorite gift that we gave her was a tiny pearl bracelet that will undoubtedly end up in her hope chest.

Devin went way over board on gifts for me... buying me my digital camera that I had been planning to buy with Christmas money! It is so much better than my point and shoot camera at capturing Finley's expressions... expect a lot of fun pictures in the months ahead. He also bought me an Ebelskiver pan to make mini filled pancakes. I had bought Beth one and was super jealous of it so I was really surprised to get it. We used it to start a new Christmas tradition at our house... filled pancakes every Christmas for the Curran clan!

Taken with my new camera!

After we had our own Christmas, we celebrated with my brother, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend's family. They went WAY overboard on presents for us and I felt incredibly guilty. My brother is absolutely in love with Finley and it was just precious to see! Tracey and her family are just so sweet and I am so happy for my brother. My favorite gift from them was a Cabbage Patch doll for Finley. I LOVED (was obsessed) with Cabbage Patch Kids when I was young so my brother wanted to make sure Finley shared in my love. He had the worker in Target search all their dolls for one with Finley's birthday, but was unsuccessful... still, he had the doll's birth certificate changed to Finley's name and birthday. So sweet!

After our time with them, we headed to Devin's parents house. To be honest, the whole time was a bit of a blur. By this point in the day, I was pretty tired and the pile of gifts were overwhelming. And when I say overwhelming, I mean having to feed Finley twice (her feedings are three hours a part!) during the event. And yes, it was an event. Finley got some more great books (WE LOVE OUR BOOKS!), some clothes, and a few DVD's. She also got the Fischer Price Noah's Ark which I can't wait for her to play with... I'm a sucker for religious gifts. Which also brings me to Amy and Dillon's gift to us... a nativity scene! I admit that I have put off buying one because the ones I like are always so expensive, but it hit me this year that if someone walked into our house and surveyed our Christmas decorations, they would have no idea that we celebrate Christ's birth so I am ecstatic about this gift! Devin's parents bought us too much to list, but two of my favorites were an external hard drive and a ton of nice picture frames.... now I can capture family memories and not only display them, but also back them up. (It truly was a "photographic" Christmas because my brother bought us a digital picture frame which is perfect for displaying ALL of Finley's pictures... I love not having to choose which ones to frame!)

We unfortunately weren't able to celebrate Christmas with my dad due to my grandfather's death. I think he needed some time alone and with the funeral being the day after Christmas, it just was a bit much. It was a tough way to end our Christmas week, but also a reminder of why we were celebrating the season... Christ's birth and death enabled us to be saved and spend eternity with our Savior and knowing that my grandfather was in heaven rejoicing made the reason for our celebration abundantly clear for me!

I'm already looking forward to next year's Christmas when Finley will be a bit older and we will have even more traditions to enjoy!

She's Such a Honey

So I'll have to blog about our Christmas soon, but wanted to blog about my dear grandfather who passed away right before Christmas. Finley was his only great grandchild and he was enthralled with her at Thanksgiving (as I've already blogged about) and again when we went to visit him in the hospital. I'm so thankful that he had the chance to meet her before he died and only wish that Finley could have also met my grandmother who died almost exactly a year before her birth. I will always remember my Grandpa telling everyone "She is such a honey!" and I thought that was such a precious way to describe our little Finley. We will miss you, Grandpa Ty.