HO!HO!HO!

We had another amazing Christmas this year. I can honestly say this is the first year that the girls, Addison especially, really got the concept behind it. Their excitement really got us into the season and I'm kind of sad that it's over already. For the first time ever, I took our tree down the day after Christmas. I had to to make room in the living room for all of their new toys. Poor Addison helped her daddy drag it out to the bonfire area and when she realized that it was being left out there she got upset saying that it was going to get cold. Daniel said she attempted to drag it back inside because she was so concerned for it. She has such a sensitive heart!

I hosted Christmas Eve dinner here at our house for my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. It was exciting because it was our first "traditional" dinner of the season and for the first time ever I got to break out the china that she gave me years ago that once belonged to her. We give the girls brand new jammies on Christmas Eve and their mamaw brought them each a new holiday bear. They loved unwrapping them although we have to work on how long it takes them to unwrap the packages...lol.

Freshly bathes, new jammies on, and Christmas bears in hand all ready for Santa to arrive.

 I didn't get any pictures but we served roasted turkey, stuffing, Arkansas green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cresecent rolls, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I made everything but the turkey and stuffing and I'm pretty sure we all stuffed ourselves until we were about to bust. After they left I got busy whipping up chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips so that we would have fresh cookies to set out for Santa.

The girls loved helping me set out the cookies and milk and they watched as we wrote Santa a little note thanking him for their presents and wishing him and the reindeer a safe trip. Once we tucked them into bed I got busy wrapping all of their gifts. We went overboard last year so this year we scaled back quite a bit. I felt bad after seeing all of the loads of gifts other family and friends posted pictures of on Facebook for their kids but our finances just wouldn't allow it this year. I actually returned a few things for them because I just knew they would get spoiled rotten with all of their extended family and I'm glad that I did. I returned a bunch of outfits and between their mamaw and other family members they pretty much got a new winter wardrobe at Christmas. I've already got a bag of clothes started for Goodwill sometime this week.

We woke them up around 7:45 Christmas morning and the smiles on their faces were absolutely priceless. I made a big breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, and buttery biscuits and shortly thereafter we started putting ourselves together so that we could head to my mother-in-laws to do Christmas with her and my brother-in-law.

We were all spoiled at her house and we were served another delicious meal of tacos. I made mock chipotle rice and skyline dip to contribute to the meal and once again we stuff ourselves until we could hardly move. This is the first holiday that I can remember where I could eat everything and anything without worrying about bathroom issues. It was also the first one where I can honestly say I was comfortable traveling everywhere knowing that there would be no bathrooms open anywhere. It's one of the downside of having severe anxiety brought on by my Crohns disease but having my ileostomy this year helped ease all of those fears. We visited for a few hours with Sue and Dustin and then gathered all of our goodies into the Yukon and for the first time ever, I spend some time with my step-dad's side of the family.

I have never spent Christmas day with them because of my parents divorce and having so many other stops. I made sure this year to stop and spend a couple of hours with them and I am so glad that we did. My grandma got us our very first Hallmark ornament and between her, grandpa, and my brother Steve, the girls got spoiled all over again. We only stayed for about an hour and a half and we didn't get to eat with them but we had yet another stop to make before our day was over.

Our last stop of the day was at my uncle Dan and aunt Robin's house. They had already started eating by the time that we arrived but you can only move so fast when you have so many people to visit. I made deviled eggs for that trip and they were delicious. So was the beef  and pork roasts that they made. We only stayed for about two hours with them but we were so worn out from doing so much already that I just had to get home so that we could get the girls prepped for bed and allow them some time to play with their new stuff.

Mommy holding all of their presents waiting to be unwrapped!

The girls got several new outfits, three or four pairs of pajamas, stuffed animals, snacks, and they each got a brand new baby doll and they each received a new stroller for their babies.

The best gift of the night though came from Dan and Robin and Daniel and I are so excited we can't see straight. Every August growing up they used to take me and Heather to Cedar Point. Cedar Point was the first and only real vacation that Daniel and I have ever taken together and we've been throwing around the idea of taking the girls in the near future. I told my aunt Robin this past Saturday that I wish we could go this summer with everyone so that we could see all of the new additions to the family enjoy the park as much as we all did growing up. For Christmas they presented each one of our families with a trip to Cedar Point this coming August. They've booked all of our rooms in one of the parks hotels and each room is side by side. We're going up a day early with them to stay in Port Clinton for a night and then we'll make our way to Sandusky to spend five days in and out of the park and water park. I can't wait to spend this time with everyone, especially with my uncle Dan who is declining health and who won't be able to travel outside of his home much anymore.

 

The men in our families were presented with the information about our trip, they are reading about it above. 

My dad reading his stuff about the trip sporting his girlfriend Donna's glasses because he left his at home...lol.

I think Christmas 2012 was a rip, roaring success but now I must get started on a party for two little girl's that I know who have a birthday coming up in February. I'll try to post again sometime in the next few days with more Christmas photo's and photo's from our 3rd annual Christmas cookie exchange that I held on the 15th.