Christmas celebrations

So, my biggest gift this year was a digital SLR camera. It was counted as a gift, since my parents are paying for close to half of it, so even though I'm paying for a huge chunk I had to wait until Christmas to get it! I was so excited to be finally getting a really good camera, and I took GAZILLIONS of pictures on Christmas eve and day! I think the best way to tell the story of the holidays is through those pictures...

Just after supper on Christmas eve, a supper spent with my my mom, dad, and sister at our house, I got to open my brand new Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS. My dad was pretty excited about he camera too, and this is one of the first shots, taken by him.

We then hurried out the door to go to my aunt's house and celebrate with my dad's side of the family. Traditionally Quebecois families go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, then have supper afterwards, but we only eat at about nine or ten now (usually), since none of the family goes to midnight mass. The three siblings, my dad, and his two sisters, take turns having Christmas at their houses, and this year the aunt who's house it was only served dessert (that's why we ate at our house ahead of time). At least it was good dessert!

Emi hates this pic, but I really like it...

Pretty tree...

I love how everyone is enthusiastically discussing something in this pic.

I love how my grandmaman looks in this photo! Although my cousin looks grumpy. As usual.

The table, set up beautifully.

Gifts!

My dad took this one.

I love this shot SO MUCH! I took a bunch of nice pic's of my dad, but this one is probably my favorite.

Tree AND gifts!

I didn't take any photo's of people opening gifts on Christmas eve, since I was too busy opening my own! We left my aunt's at about 1:30 am, so by the time we drove home, settled down, and went to bed, it was past three! Because of that we were all up late on Christmas morning. My dad got up at nearly eleven, and this is the man who usually considers getting up at seven "sleeping in"! But when we'd all finally stumbled out of bed and eaten breakfast, it was time for my mom to open her special gift...

A guitar!

She was very happy with that.

"Thank you so much!"

Then we all opened our gifts! I really don't know why he's holding that clippy thing, since it certainly wasn't a present!

I am in love with this shot. Her expression, the detail, everything! Emi, however, not so much...

Gifts!

I love taking pictures of ornaments...

Naruto! Given to Emi by me. :-)

New locomotive book.

Happiness.

Self portrait, wearing my new fuzzy hat.

Boo Boo! (Also known as Winston)

Playing with her new toy...

Tree! (again)

The reflection in this made me really happy.

More ornaments...

Taken with the zoom lense on my camera. That thing can make something across the street look like I'm practically touching it. This shot, which wasn't at full zoom, is of the tree on our lawn, taken from my front doorway.

After gift gift opening, we watched my dad's two new DVD's. One was Jeff Dunham's Christmas special, and the other was a show by John Pinet. Both were hilarious! Then off we went to my grandmothers (my mom's mom).

I love her tree!

My grandma is NOT good at smiling for pictures, so I had to take a lot of them before I got a few good ones!

EWWWWWWWW!!

My Tofurky. :-) I was extremely happy to finally be able to eat "turkey" with everyone else! Doesn't it look tasty?

"Haha, I can see your nostrils!" "WTF?" *Laughs*

We both had quite a bit of trouble reading my grandma's handwriting... But we were both quite happy wth our gifts!

Sliced Tofurky.

Happy!

I always love reflections.

So, that' pretty much what my Christmas looked like. It always seems that everyone puts so much effort into it all, so much stress and time and enthusiasm, and then POOF it's gone. Time scares me sometimes. I'm going to take a picture (or two or three) of my gifts, and maybe get those up tonight.

I hope your holidays are, and continue to be, wonderful!

Peace,
Idzie