Christmas 2011: the perfect gift

Christmas was, simply put, AMAZING.  Over the last couple of years, Phillip and I agreed that there's just something different... something was missing... our little Callie was missing.  Having a little one there for the present opening and exploring all of her new things truly made the experience SOO much better!

One of our favorite new tricks of Callie's was when she opened her packages, she would rip the paper and immediately stick her right hand in her mouth... with the paper.  But it HAD to be ripped prior to placing it in her mouth.  It was certainly tricky keeping up with her little hands... but hilarious to watch!  Our guess on her favorite gift for this year, would probably have to be her stocking filled with paci's (aka- pacifier's) from Santa.  She would take them out one at a time, put one in her mouth, and as soon as she found another one, spit the first one out and put the new one in!  She had one in each hand and her mouth as often as she could!

My favorite gift for her would be her Cabbage Patch Baby Doll... for anyone that hasn't heard the story yet... here it goes:

I knew I wanted Santa to get her a Cabbage Patch baby doll, it's a family tradition that the girls always get a doll from Santa for Christmas, and I wanted to carry that on with Callie.  I knew EXACTLY which doll I wanted and thought... how hard could it be to get this doll?  It turns out... that it was EXTREMELY difficult to get the one I wanted.  (As Phillip would point out... yes, the one KRISTIN wanted, not Callie... but that's beside the point).  I wanted the Cabbage Patch Kids Newborn Surprise, bald with blue eyes... I was hoping for a girl... but I wasn't going to be particular.  So go ahead, Amazon.com that... or even EBay it... IT DOESN'T EXIST!!!  It was impossible.  With all of the power of the Internet... I couldn't get the doll I wanted for my baby.  I had people in different cities, Kansas City, Salina & Wichita, all looking for this doll, while Phillip and I frantically searched online (mind you, Phillip was doing this, simply to appease his wife).  At the Cabbage Patch Kids website, you could only specify if you wanted Caucasian or Black, but no other details, it was "shippers choice" as far as what you got.

Well... Phillip, being the numbers man he is... calculated up what my odds were of getting the doll I wanted if I ordered it online (you know, calculating all of the different eye color options and hair options).  Basically, if I ordered 10 dolls (at $19.99 a doll), I would have a 90% chance of getting the one I wanted.  Phillip saw the idea flash across my mind... should I order 10?  I COULDN'T do that... but a piece of me certainly understood how crazy those parents get when they want something so badly for their children on Black Friday.  Finally, after I felt defeated, I decided to place an order from Cabbage Patch.com... I would get... whatever they sent to me.  I ordered on the Sunday before Christmas... praying it would get to Derby in time.

As we were driving to Derby on Friday afternoon from Salina, my mother called me, a box had arrived for Callie from Cabbage Patch Kids.com... I told her to open it immediately and to either send me a smiley face or not smiley face via text message.  It took about 15 minutes and she called me back... A Cabbage Patch Newborn Surprise Baby Doll, Bald with Blue Eyes, and it was a girl, and on her adoption certificate... her birthday was April 28th.  UNBELIEVABLE!!!  It just couldn't have even been true... I told Phillip I was happier with this baby doll than I would be winning the lottery... he just rolled his eyes, but he knew how happy I was... squealing with joy.  So someday I will share this story with Callie, about her Cabbage Patch doll that I took a chance on getting, with every odd stacked against me... and got the most perfect doll for her... just like my Sweet baby girl!

Phillip's gift to Callie:

Mayorlyn, a little girl that was also born on Callie's birthday, April 28th, 2011, in Guatemala, that Phillip chose for us to sponsor through World Vision.  I was truly touched that he decided to do this, it was something we had talked about doing for a while.  I just know that this is a wonderful gift that we will cherish for years to come.  We don't really know a lot about her yet, but we look forward to getting to know her family and living situation.

(OK, his gift makes me seem terribly materialistic... :/)

A few other Photos of Christmas:

A few of Sneebie's favorite Things... Yes, Grammie Lou, he did get a new Monkey Head... so hopefully he won't keep carrying the creepy old one around that you dislike :)

 Stocking Stuffers from Phillip:

Also from World Vision, and new mother and baby kit and labor support for a mother in a third world country that would otherwise have to do it alone.  These were wonderful.

 Daddy and his baby girl on Christmas morning...
My sister's kept calling Callie "the grinch" because her little outfit made her look like a "who" from "who-ville"

Beans amongst the wrapping remains...

The year of the Scoular pint glasses!!!  Two for EVERYONE!!!

(it's hard to read but the Scoular logo is etched onto the glass)

Twas the Night Before Christmas... as read by Poppa in his Victoria's Secret Santa hat... because SOMEONE misplaced Poppa's original cap...
(look... Uncle Dalton came too!)

The Littlest Noodle Bug... LOVING looking at herself and playing at Gramma and Grampa Meyer's house... I seriously think she could've done this for hours!
(the face she is making is "the bratty-face"... she just looks so ornery!)

A package from Dan... I just thought the label was cute :)

We were absolutely Blessed (/spoiled) this holiday season... it was just so wonderful to be with family and to get to share it with our Sweet Callie-girl... thank you to everyone... we love you all!