Holiday tour, part 1: NC

We left Colorado amid the one real snowstorm we've had so far this year. For those not planning to fly cross-country that day, it was the perfect start to Christmas weekend. For us, snow tires, Tom's driving, and plane de-icer all did wonders, and we made it to RDU, via DFW, without a hitch.

 

 Mor-mor, Grandpa, and Uncle Peter had  quite the tree waiting...

 

Being silly in Grandpa's hat

 

 An outing to the Nutcracker, Edith's first viewing of that holiday classic...and possibly the one public event for which little girls still put on their party dresses (in North Carolina, at least).

 

Baking gingerbread

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, and then the middle generation got to go to the 11pm service of lessons and carols at Duke Chapel, a treat Tom and I have missed since Edith was born. The two-hour wait in our seats before it began also gave me time to finish Mom's Christmas gift:

Santa came and showered bounty on all

...including Fijian headresses from Aunt Robin

 

 

The newest American Girl Doll, French Creole Cecile, found her way from New Orleans to a parlor in North Carolina

 

 

Alice's favorite gifts were Sesame Street stickers, a rainbow umbrella, and the Twinkletoes sneakers she picked out for herself the day after Christmas (we hadn't even heard of them)...which threatened to cause epileptic seizures when she wore them into a movie theater

 

We were sad to leave North Carolina after a week, cheered only at the thought of seeing yet more relatives at our next stop.