Amongst friends

This post is a tad out of sequence, because we had at least three "Christmases" with family, and I have so many wonderful photos to share that I haven't managed to plow through all of them as yet. As all of you parents know, one has a brief period of time for things like sizing and uploading pictures after a little one has gone to bed. So tonight, since I had a manageable number of photos from this event (and since there are other friends from the group out there waiting to see...) I thought I'd post pictures from our little reunion with a few close friends from the adoption group. This first one is Ellie (Jennie and Merle's daughter) playing dolls with Q. As you can see, Q was less interested in the dolls than she was in playing with Ellie.
Q is not so much a doll person as a motor-vehicle person. She loves her dump trucks and her racing cars...and Merle was nice enough to find her a dump truck, which she happily played with for most of the night. But she does seem to feel an affinity for Ellie, and they played happily, even if their toy preferences differ.
Merle and the girls.
Next to arrive were Hayley and Mike, in town from Minnesota, with their beautiful daughters Piper and Paisley. Though I've been friends "virtually" with Hayley since early in our adoption journey, I had never met her in person. I have to say that she's EVEN BETTER in person than she is in the blog world. Truly a wonderful, warm and brilliant person whom I am lucky to know.
QQ spending some quality time with Hayley, Piper and Paisley.
Merle and his baby girl.
QQ took this picture of Hayley in front of the Christmas tree ;) QQ is quite the budding photographer.
Ellie, Paisley and Hayley under the tree.
The last arrivals were Christie and her family, all the way from Edwards. Check out Lina's cool Christmas outfit! What a little fashion plate! LIna is the eldest of our children, and I love her Louise Brooks bob!
Our hostess, Jennie, in a rare moment when she was not working in the kitchen. That's Hayley's husband Mike on the right, with his youngest, Paisley.
Thanks guys! It was beyond great to see you all, and I need to send special thanks out to Jennie for hosting once again!