Christmas in Herrin

Rather than repeating everything here, take a look at my photos and captions on Facebook (public link here) from the holidays.

Weight limit
I had a great time with friends and family. My Christmas presents easily fit in my suitcase until Mom and I spent a couple days shopping after Christmas. In the end, my suitcase weighed 49.2 lbs. (the limit is 50). And I have a small bag of holiday cards for next year (or the next three years, probably) sitting at my parents house for me to pick up sometime before December. (They were 50% off and adorable!)

My aunt and cousin made these adorable aprons as Christmas presents.

Grandparents
My parents bought an inflatable Christmas decoration. But not for the front yard; this one goes on the back deck so that Nolen can see it from the family room. They are definitely grandparents. (Also, Dad now takes long lunches at home and comes home early on days when Mom is watching Nolen. Kevin and I were laughing at how this compares with his late nights of work when we were younger.)

Trains
Nolen is a big fan of trains right now. My dad bought him a Christmas train, which is set up in the living room. The day Nolen was over, we watched that train for at least an hour. (It only goes in a circle on one track.) Nolen uses the remote to start and stop it and to turn on the music. He's also good at counting the cars.