The Blossoming Boyle Family: Merry Christmas...and all that jazz

Merry Christmas to all! Chris and I decided to start a tradition where we buy an ornament for Imogen each year that commemorates the past 365 days in some way, shape or form. So as Imogen grows, we will be able to see how she has changed over time and what her likes were. This year, we chose a Cheerio's ornament. I could not pass this one up when I saw it at S.W. Randall. Imogen is a Cheerio lover -- and is so adorable when she tells us she wants them! The ornament now adorns our tree and will for the next many, many years.

We had a wonderful holiday shared with lots of family and friends. Our activities started on Christmas Eve at our home. Imogen opened her presents from Santa and from her Nana and Grandpa in Mississippi.

First, the presents from Santa, which she opened with enthusiasm. Her stocking contained two little stuffed animals, a doggie and a kitty. Here she is hugging the doggie.

Then she very nicely sat in her new chair at her new table holding her new bear while waiting for the next gift. Have I mentioned that she has an infinite love for babies and stuffed animals?!?! I love her expression in this picture -- sort of like, "mommy, stop taking my picture!"

After opening a couple gifts in her chair, we moved to the ground where the sun wasn't so bright. She, of course, had to take her little kitty and continued to hug and kiss it while opening all her gifts.

Then, she proceeded to open all subsequent gifts with only one hand, holding the kitty in the other hand.

And with gifts still unopened, she decided she had had enough and played with the kitty some more. She layed on the floor and talked to the kitty, hugged the kitty and kissed the kitty.

One gift she did manage to open was an awesome shopping cart from her Nana and Grandpa. She loves this thing! As soon as we got it together, she took off around the house with it. Of course, her kitty and doggie are safely inside going for a ride too.

Next we move to Christmas Eve dinner at my Nana's house. Imogen received several toys, but instead decided the water bottles were more fun and showed us how many she could carry at one time. She looked so pretty in her classic red satin dress!

She took a break from the water bottles to wrestle her (2nd) cousin, Luke, to see who could get into his chair first. It is an adorable mini-recliner and Imogen loves it. Too bad it went home to Kentucky with him.

Imogen then moved to the television and watched whichever football game was on. She cheered as each team made good plays. She does love her sports thanks to daddy.

We spent the night at my parents house on Christmas Eve. Imogen woke up to more gifts -- the most exciting of which was a new kitchen! This thing is so fun; it makes boiling water sounds and frying pan sounds when you put the respective pans on the little burner. She is going to have tons of fun buying food at the store with her shopping cart and cooking it all in the kitchen!

She only opened a few presents Christmas morning before telling us she had had enough. The rest of her gifts were opened later in the day by me....but Imogen did help with a few when she felt like it. She was so funny when she (or I) opened clothes -- she would hold them up to herself and exclaim "wow" !! It was so cute! She was honestly just as excited for the clothes as she was the toys!

Later in the morning, Imogen and her Zianna decided to rest together with Zianna's puppies, Lady (black) and Duke (red). Imogen LOVES her dogs! They are both mini-dachunds and are very cute I must say (but we want nooooooo dogs right now). I would like to point out that this picture was not posed. I walked in to find them all laying like this and cracked up!

Finally, our festivities rolled over to the 26th where we had fun with friends and family at their Christmas party at my parents house. It was so wonderful to see everyone -- many of whom we haven't seen since this summer or even last Christmas. Since I was behind the camera much of the holiday, I don't have many pictures with Imogen, but here is a nice one of us.