A New Kind of Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

We had a very different Christmas for us, but it was a lot of fun! Christmas Eve started off with sleeping in, and a family breakfast. The kids were especially fiesty on this Christmas Eve day. We had plans to attend a Christmas Eve service in Santa Fe together, but Kimsey and Joshua were especially excited and took a long time falling asleep for their afternoon nap. So, Andrew held down the fort here preparing for a Christmas Eve get together at our house, while Shannon and I went to the Christmas Eve service. It was my first Presbyterian service, and it was very good. The music was nice, and the sermon was great too. I rushed back to help put together our party right as the guests arrived. Our neighbors, Jim, Shannon, James, Art, Shelly, Silas, and Josiah all came over. We had a big appetizer dinner. It was very yummy!! All the interns, Allison, Cierra, Jessica, Ian, and Peter all came too. The interns stayed to help us clean up, make a breakfast casserole for Christmas morning, and do a few "other" jobs! We played the infamous (in Gainesville, Ga anyway) Whunoo. It is a fabulous get to know you type game! We watched Hitch and sometime after 1am, we said good-bye to all our guests, and finished our late night job! Andrew and I crashed around 2am! Whew!

Kimsey opening just 1 gift on Christmas Eve!

Joshua decided to open his, too!

Joshua started getting the hang of it, in just the nick of time!

Ta Da! New Christmas PJs!


Best Friends...

One of them loves to pose...any guesses???



Santa stopped by our house!


Can you believe the US Postal Service knows where Glorieta, NM is!

Well, the wild ones, aka Kimsey and Joshua finally crashed! We woke up on Christmas morning, started a fire and coffeee (the essentials to life). Then, we woke the kiddos! We had a great morning opening presents. In fact, we didn't even get through all of them before our late morning breakfast with our neighbors and the interns. We came home, finished opening our presents, and then the interns came over to wath The Bourne Ultimatum.

Merry Christmas!
Kimsey getting into her stocking!



Kimsey got a "people" hairbrush, some princess bracelets and hair stuff,

a slinky and princess underware in her stocking!

Ta Da! She got to the bottom!

Joshua apparently sat on a gift bow, we didn't realize it for a little while, but

it was most definately picture worthy!!







Justin sent some great gifts! Joshua loved his!

Josh really got into the unwrapping!

And very fiesty when the gift was unwrapped!

Thanks Grandma!

Kimsey loves her baby and baby doll bed!

Thanks Nanna!


Joshua loved all the toys including Kimsey's snow tube!




After our great day, and much needed nap, we woke up to make our first Christmas dinner all by ourselves. I had studied Rachael Ray very closely before attempting our first ham! Fortuantely it was a success! I am very proud, and we definatley have enough ham for 2008. No one needs to worry if we have food! Ha! Ha!

Drumroll please....!!!!


A close up, if you will!


This is our yummy ham with an orange sugar glaze
served with pears and apples!



The dinner presentation

We had a fabulous Christmas in New Mexico! We missed our friends and family in Georgia so much!! But, we have spread our wings and are flying out here starting new traditions and making new friends. We love you all!!

Christmas Traditions!

As we prepare for our first Christmas, too far from family to visit, we are trying to begin some fun traditions. At camp, traditions define each camp, and as camp staffers, Andrew and I desire to create traditions that will define the Morris'. So, I was curious about family and/or Christmas traditions either you do with your family or have heard about. Or, you could get even more creative, and create a tradtion you think we should try! You know us, we are up for just about anything. All ideas will be taken into consideration and voted on! (By all registered voters of the Morris family) I would love to see your best shot, get creative, and give us some ideas to help make memories for this year and many more to come!
Merry Christmas!

December In New Mexico

Hey Everyone!
We haven't forgotten y'all, we've just been pretty boring! Andrew is into his new work routine, as a part of his job he had to ref paintball in the snow the other day. Yes, snow is still very frequent around here, but just an inch or two at a time now. It is only 7 more days until Christmas, and Kimsey is quite excited! We finally got her to understand the true meaning of Christmas, which is exciting for Andrew and I. I am very busy working in the Santa Fe Place mall at Gap. I am enjoying it, but Andrew and I are tag teaming quite a bit, so it is difficult to see each other! I did request Chirstmas Eve off and got it, so that is very exciting! Christmas decorations aren't the same out here, so things look different, but we have lots of snow to keep us in the Christmas spirit! We would love to hear from those checking in! Shoot us an email or post a comment here! More pictures coming soon...I promise!

It's Still Snowing!!!

Well friends! It is still snowing out here in the southwest! The pictures you are about to see are from 3 hours ago, and I warn you, the depth has already changed! There is a minimum of 6 inches all over and many places have more than a foot of snow! The weather report here says it is 27 degrees and feels like 19...I cannot confirm or deny those reports because I am numb! If anyone receives heavy packages from New Mexico, please open them! It will be us getting to a place where we can thaw out at a much cheaper price than plane tickets! Just kidding (well sort of)! We are having a lot of fun playing in the snow. Yes, it is supposed to continue tonight and tomorrow! Hopefully we will be able to dig out so I can go to work tomorrow night! The kids and I drove around campus and took a few pictures. I really wish you all could see this! I personally have never seen anything like it! And, if you can believe it, everyone is still working hard around here! In Georgia, everything would be totally shut down! But, they do have snow plows out here, and they drive by every couple of hours and clear the roads! Aren't they nice?!

This was what we woke up to about this morning! Lots more than yesterday!





Andrew came home for lunch to play with us! Check out the snow, y'all!!

Andrew shoveling snow on his lunch break, and the kids playing!



Kimsey and Joshua in the snow! Joshua just ate snow, and he kinda likes it! :)

This is our house and to the left of our house!

Views around Glorieta, and the lake 1/2 frozen with ducks still swimming!!!

Andrew's Office!

Let it Snow!!!

Well, it is officially snowing here at Glorieta! We had a couple of inches on Saturday night, which mostly melted by late Sunday afternoon. However, this Monday morning has dawned with lots of snow coming down! It has snowed nonstop for the last 4-5 hours! I think we have about 2-3 inches out there right now! Joshua is having a hard time getting around in his snow gear, but he is doing quite well considering he has only been walking for 3 weeks! Kimsey loves the snow! She squeals and giggles (if you can imagine that) as she is out in it, and while looking out the window! She is certainly not afraid and loves running around and playing it! For those of you in Georgia, I am sorry the snow has not found you there, but maybe you can enjoy a picture or two from here. The weather forecast is for snow the next 2 days as well. I may very soon leave my comfort level for snow if it keeps up. The plan is to keep the fire going, and fix a yummy hot dinner...I think brunswick stew and cornbread! Merry Christmas and Happy Snow to you all!
Love,

Andrew, Holly, Kimsey and Joshua

This is our backyard!
We are going to leave the snow on our outside table,

and measure the snow this winter!!



This is from our front yard looking left!

And this is from the front yard looking right!

Here is Kimsey enjoying the snow,
but Joshua is having trouble staying on his feet!

Kimsey running around in the snow!

Me helping Joshua!

Josh did make frineds with the snow!



Kimsey and Joshua laughing in the snow!

More Moving Stories...

Well, I told you our UHaul was the size of our entire townhouse building! And the sad part is we had it packed completely full! Kimsey wasn't sure she liked the big truck at first, but then she figured out she echoed and she could sing and dance in there, then it became her favorite spot!
We loaded up Saturday after Thanksgiving, and were out that afternoon! I can't believe we had that much stuff in there! It was crazy for sure!

The kids actually stayed with Andrew's parents most of the week, and then they took them to my mom who flew out with them both! The kids went on their very first plane ride with mom to make the trip to New Mexico! Andrew and I are very thankful to all of our parents for their help in getting out here one way or another! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

Here they are at the Atlanta airport after FINALLY getting through security!

Kimsey peeking out the airplane window!

Flying is hard work for a little guy!

Kimsey is entertaining herself with her new view finder toy!

They are all in 3D now! Boy how times have changed!

Mom and the kids flew from Atlanta to Denver and then switched planes to come to Albequerque! Josh woke up and played on the second flight!
Although it was the middle of the night, the kids played very sweetly together!

Mom and the kids on the plane
My mom, the superwoman!!!

Thank you so much!

The kids did quite well considering they left Atlanta at 7:15pm and got to Albequerque at 11:30pm (Which was 1:30am Georgia time!) God was very good to all of us in our travels out here! He paved the way for us all, and for that we are very thankful!

Love to you all!

The Morris'