Saturday afternoon we drove to Danville and arrived just after Mary Susan and Tim. The evening was spent catching up with everyone and everything. Sunday the whole family went to the Danville Ward, we relaxed some more and enjoyed the idea that we didn't need to go to work the next day. 
Monday Mary Susan & Tim, Brady & Karissa, and their Dad went out shopping all day. The rest of the family did various Christmas visits, 
shopping trips, got our hair cut, etc... After dinner we went to a local church to see a Chrismons tree. A Chrismon is an ornament that is a Monogram of Christ. Every ornament must have a 
biblical reference to Christ, be white & gold, and can't be bought or sold. I forgot my camera at home this week but Susan let me borrow her camera so I could still get some pictures. These are some of my favorite ornaments on the tree. (The idea of a Chrismon tree started in Danville to learn more try clicking on the link) 
When Christmas Eve rolled around the Smallwood kids headed over to Clarksville for their annual party at their father's home. We met with Mark's cousins, aunts, & uncles. I was especially happy to catch up with Mark's step-sister, Amber and his cousin Jennifer. Mark cooked a great ham, and Debi created quite the spread to go with it. Near the end of the night we opened the Christmas gifts from Daddy and Debi. Mark was given a Demel drill, which was one of the things he really really wanted for the holiday. I received a set of six perfumes, a scrapbook kit, and a few other things. After a fun filled evening we piled back into the cars and headed back to Danville for Christmas day. The tradition for Mark's family is to eat oyster stew Christmas morning so true to tradition Mom(Susan's mom/Mark's grandma) brought over the stew and the whole family sat down to eat soup for breakfast. I was unadventurous and ate bubble bread for breakfast and potato soup for lunch. Mark however, loved the stew and I think he was excited to be surrounded by 3 or 4 others who also enjoyed the tradition, compared to last year when it was just his brother that ate the stew with him while the wives complained about the smell :-)
After breakfast we opened gifts. I had made Mark a Duke blanket and he bought me a jewelry cleaner. We received many other wonderful gifts, but if I list them all it would make for a very long blog.
At 11:00 am we participated in a double 3-way call. My brother, who is currently serving a mission in Peru was able to call home for the holiday. He called my parents in UT, who then 3-way called to Mark's phone. We used Mark's phone to 3-way call Scott's girlfriend Alyssa in MN. It was good to hear Scott's voice and catch up with him in a way letters can't. He left in May of 2008 and has been in 3 foreign countries due to political unrest in Bolivia. He will return home some time in 2010. We are all very proud of Scott and the choice he has made to serve the Lord.
Before the Christmas dinner Susan arranged for a short nativity scene and scripture reading. Each person in the family had a part in a readers theatre and the kids dressed up in costume to act out the 1st Christmas. Ashlyne dressed up as Mary, Cameron was Joseph, and Tyler was a shepard with a crook and everything. It was a nice way to turn our thoughts back the the birth of Jesus and the reason we celebrate Christmas to begin with.
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