Here is the stocking that Ashley and Grandma made especially for Daniel.
Daniel and Charley checking out the presents Santa Claus left for them.
Daniel with Uncle Jeff and Auntie Val.
Daniel and his Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas morning.
Daniel loves spending time with his Tai Tai.
Daniel had a wonderful first Christmas! In the morning we opened presents as a family before heading to Grandma and Grandpa's for more presents. Then Brian fit in his annual Christmas day surf while Ashley and Daniel rested up at home (it was too chilly at the beach to join him!) That night we returned to the Kemmerer's for a huge, delicious dinner and then watched old embarrassing home movies from past Christmases. It was our first Christmas with our two new family members- Daniel and Jeff! It is so much fun to watch our family grow (and the boys now outnumber the girls!) Here we are in front of Ashley's parents' tree before dinner. Daniel received so many presents and was excited to play with all of them.
On Christmas Eve we went to the candlelight service at church with Auntie Val and Uncle Jeff. Daniel was happy to see his friends Caleb and Natalie at the service. Afterwards, we went to Granny and Gramps for a delicious pasta dinner. Daniel got to open presents and spend time with his grandparents and great-grandparents. When we got home, Daddy read Daniel "Twas the Night Before Christmas" before everyone got in their new Christmas Pajamas and went to sleep.
Last week Daniel started scooting across the room in an army-crawl style! Now he is after EVERYTHING including poor Charley's tail (which he loves to yank) and the Christmas tree (where he attempts to pull off the tree skirt)! It's a whole new ballgame with Daniel moving so quickly. Daniel has also been so amped about his new efficient means of traveling that he has decided he doesn't want to go to sleep and instead he wiggles around and babbles to us. Meanwhile, Ashley is in need of a nap!
(Don't worry, the tree isn't as crooked as it looks here, it's leaning against something!)
Today we went out into the Goleta countryside to the rustic Home Depot parking lot where you can get a beautiful tree for the bargain price of $25.00. Our easy to please nature allowed us to fall in love with the first tree we encountered. Sadly, there are no longer any places to cut your own fresh tree left in Goleta. While Daniel's first experience getting a Christmas tree may not be quite the Noel Tree Farm or Dos Pueblos Ranch memories of our childhoods, he seemed to be having fun. Touching the pines and riding in the truck with Mama and Daddy while listening to Christmas carols on K-LITE makes for one very happy baby.
Daniel made an appearance with Santa Claus (a.k.a. Grandpa) at Grandpa's Christmas party at UCSB. He had a great time playing "mini-me" to the old jolly St. Nick!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us! Daniel tried Thanksgiving yams for the first time over the holiday. He also had fun at two Thanksgiving dinners at both sets of grandparents' houses and was introduced to lots of Brian and Ashley's friends.
