My Christmas Was Wonderful!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...I'm still here.  Junior is on vacation until after the new year, so we have been spending time as a family.  It's been nice, but I will be ready for him to go back to work and the kids to go back to school soon...the family time is interfering with my blogging! lol!

We had a wonderful Christmas!  Christmas Eve we saw my dad and his wife at my sister's house, and after a yummy supper and opening gifts, we settled in to play some cards.  It was nice that Ryan and Kasi were included...they usually feel neglected since their cousins are so much younger than they are.

Christmas morning was nice...the kids were happy with what Santa brought them...and after all the gifts were opened we headed out for our annual breakfast at Hardee's.  I forgot my camera, which means I didn't take the annual picture.  Oh well. 

After heading home and baking some ziti, we headed to my mom's house to spend the day with her, my sister, my brother, and their families.  There were kids everywhere!  My sister and I filled my mom's stocking with gifts, having no idea how much it would mean to her.  In recent years I have come to believe in "it's better to give than to receive", but this Christmas, I was especially happy to have been able to make it special for my mom.  She deserves it!

I got everything I wanted, and more!  The kids showered me with gifts.  I got a new crock pot (which I have been wanting for a while), an elephant candle holder which I adore, earrings, a electric can opener, a movie (Date Night...I can't wait to watch it!) and so much more I can't even remember.  As usual, my dad and his wife gave me an elephant (which I also love) and a sweater I will be able to wear once this wii fit takes off a few pounds.  My mom gave me this cake pan that can make letters (it's hard to explain...but I wanted it and I can't wait to try it out!), a watch, earrings, and new pots.  I love the pots.  Seriously, this is the third year that she has given me good heavy cookware, and I love it all!  Every year she also makes up gift bags for "us girls", and they are filled with lots of neat goodies.  This year mine contained gloves that are also mittens, a snowman wood thing, a snowman cake pan that you make a huge cookie in, and a bunch of other stuff.  One of the things was a little metal planter thing, and it's a ladybug.  As soon as Brandi saw it, she claimed it as her own.  She feels about ladybugs how I feel about elephants. 

The kids ended up with lots of good stuff from my mom, too.  Ryan got a laptop case (which he has been needing!) and Kasi got a CD player for her room, which she has been wanting.  Brandi got the cutest lady bug earrings.  They got a bunch of other stuff, too, but I don't remember what.  It's all a blur.  They all got gift cards from my dad and his wife, so we ventured out to Old Navy yesterday (in the snow) to take advantage of their jeans sale.  Brandi got 4 pairs and a shirt, Kasi got three pairs of jeans, and Ryan got three pairs of cargo pants and a polo shirt.  Then we went to JCPenny's to spend the gift cards they got from my Grandfather, where they each got a couple of shirts each. 

My family is definitely blessed, and it was nice to spend the holiday surrounded by the people we love most in the world.