Christmases past

Christmas 2002

Our last Christmas in Kentucky. I wasn't blogging then but found some pictures in my scrapbook and have scanned them. Here they are. Our niece Grace was just three months old this Christmas. 

Christmas 2003

This was in pre-blog days. This would have also been the first year we lived in Rochester, Minnesota. I think I wrote our first family Christmas card that year, but I can't find it anywhere. Here is a picture of us though in the snow of Minnesota that year.

Christmas 2004

We still lived in Minnesota this year, but like every year that we had been married, we made it home to South Florida for Christmas. Here is my Christmas letter from that year. (I think you'll be able to click on it to make it better and read it?)

Christmas 2005

We continued to spend each and every Christmas in South Florida with both of our families. 

Here is a link to pictures from that Christmas. 

And here is my Christmas letter from that year:

And here is the photo I included with our Christmas letter:

Christmas 2006

Here are some pictures of another Christmas spent in South Florida. Once again, we managed to get away from the snow for Christmas and a WEDDING! The biggest news of that holiday season was my brother's wedding. He and the awesome AD wed just a few days after Christmas! Here is a picture of AD and I at her bachelorette party:

Pretty sure I did a Christmas letter that year, but I can't find it!

Christmas 2007

Christmas of 2007, we were anxiously awaiting Isaac's birth the following year. We spent the holiday in South Florida with both of our families. Here are some pictures of the Kitsteiner extravaganza. Here I am with a half-way-through-her-pregnancy Bri. 

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 was our first Christmas as parents. Isaac was nearing 8 months old, and I was within a month of going into labor with Sidge. Here was our Christmas card from that year:

Because I was so very pregnant, this was the first year, ever, that JB and I did not spend Christmas with our family in South Florida. Instead, my parents joined us up at Eglin AFB. Here are some pictures from our Christmas morning. And here are some pictures of our Christmas evening spent with the Dooley family. 

Christmas 2009

Here was the Christmas letter for 2009 -- Christmas with TWO little boys:

Christmas was spent at our home on Eglin AFB, FL. We were so blessed that year to be joined by Grandparents from Michigan. Unfortunately, the boys were both nursing double ear infections so that part wasn't good. But having them there with us at the holiday was wonderful. Here is a link to some Christmas snaps from that wonderful time with my parents and grandparents. 

Christmas 2010

2010 was our first Christmas out of the USA. We were in Turkey for the holiday. Here was our 2010 Christmas card attempts:

We spent Christmas of 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey with our friends the Yerringtons and Stebbins. Here was a picture we managed to snap of the five children in attendance (Sidge, Isaac, Rowan, William, and Noah):

One of my favorite Christmas moments EVER took place in Istanbul during that trip. We were in a country that did not celebrate Christmas, but we found a Catholic church that we could attend mass at. After we left the church, we found a group of Christian turks playing Christmas music outside and passing out Bibles. Check out the video here.

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 was spent in Turkey again. Christmas Eve we made cookies for Santa and put them out for Santa. It remains one of my funniest motherhood moments ever. You have to watch the video and keep your eye on Sidge during the entire thing:

It was a very bitter sweet year that year. We were spending the holiday far away from family in a country that didn't even celebrate Christmas. In addition, our wonderful Veronica, who had spent 10 months in our home, was preparing to head back to America in just a few days:

 

We had a wonderful Christmas in Turkey with our friends Dan and Angelica (and her family from Spain who were in visiting) as well as Shane and Linda and Patty & Yamil:

But our Christmas card that year did not go well at all:

Christmas 2012

On Christmas Eve 2012, we were returning from Rochester, Minnesota where I just had a little Hannah transferred to my womb. I was obviously pregnant but had no idea! It was the first Christmas Day that we had spent with our family in South Florida since 2007. What a great time of celebration. We even managed a picture with the entire Huisman side of the family which included five kids under five! No small feat!