Gabriela Zoe's first Christmas

We seem to have a pretty set pattern on how we spend Christmas....since my parents do not live close by we always spend Christmas with the Larkin side of the family. But to start from the beginning...on Christmas Eve we got to hang out and have dinner with the Patsaouras side of the family. My uncle Nick and tia Sylvia's house where we got to see my cousins Alexi and Tanya and their cousins, ucles, aunts and nieces from tia Sylvia's side. We tried taking pictures because I want to make a book for Gabriela Zoe since we only get to see most of that side of the family once a year. However, the pics did not turn out great soooo next year we will make everyone pose :o) We had to leave a little bit early because Stephen had to be at church to help out with the Christmas Eve service.
On Christmas day when Gabriela Zoe woke up we used our nativity set to recount the christmas story and then we got to open our gifts. Gabriela Zoe had tons and tons of gifts to open since the package from Greece had arrived on time (not a virtue we can claim as our own however). Our gift to her was her red minnie mouse outfit she wore later that day and her little walker/stroller. We are glad that our gift was a real hit :o) One of the other fun gifts she got that all of her little cousins loved as well was this little duck singing the chicken dance as it is called in America. When we got done opening our gifts we headed out to Stephen's cousin's house Bobby and Shannon and there we hang out with the family and had the amazing Christmas breakfast!!!
For the late afternoon and evening we headed to the Larkin's house for a quiet time with family, opening gifts and eating some more :o)
The day after Christmas after hitting Target for after Christmas sales (if you wait a few days later you may find less but the price is also less...I found that out later), we went to celebrate Papa Stu's birthday. Usually we hang out at aunt Sherryl's and uncle Larry's home but this time we got to spend it at the grandparent's home. Grandma Franceen was especially exited to get to use her awesome Christmas china. Unfortunately I do not have any pics from that day...but I am sure that soon enough I'll find some :o) Gabriela Zoe had fun hanging out and getting to know her cousins, I think once she starts walking there will be no stopping that little girl gang...poor little Owen (the first great grand boy born in the Smith side of the family!)
Well that sums us our Christmas adventures...we spend it witlh family, shared stories and laughed...good time and it was awesome to have everyone come together!