Our 2-Day Merry Christmas Celebration was packed full of fun!!!
On Christmas Eve morning, we finally got to open the final box on the advent calendar!!! This was our first year doing an advent calendar, and it was SO much fun!...it didn't hurt that it was a "Lego" advent calendar (their current obsession in life, lol)...
Christmas Eve is always spent with my family. Before our evening of "party" started, we met up with MOST of my family at my sister's church to celebrate to the TRUE meaning of Christmas...the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!...
What happens between the pews, stays between the pews...
After church, we caravaned over to my dad & step-mom's house for dinner! :0)
After dinner, some of us just relaxed...
...Some of us wanted a nap...
...And some of us competed in the Doll-House-Derby!...
We took some pictures in front of the tree...
(Samantha in standard grand-kid-photo-form, lol...)
Then, it was time for the annual musical performances!!! Wyatt and Trevor had been secretly practicing on a piano duet of "Little Drummer Boy" for several weeks! However, because of locational differences, all practicing was done separately...but with their piano instructors. Their first chance to practice
together was ON Christmas Eve while the grandparents were otherwise occupied. Much to our (the 2 boys, and my sister and I's) disappointment, the boys just couldn't get the timing/tempo right, and the duet was a no-go. :0((( Such a bummer!!!
BUT the (independent) performances must go on!
Some of my favorite life moments are watching my son perform his talents. :0)...
We missed having Brady play the guitar this year :0(...and hopefully Zack will play the piano for us next year! :0)
Our night continued on with the opening of gifts, gifts, and MORE gifts!!!
Beatrice was up to her ears in presents...literally!!! :-0
Our night together ended with dessert, of course!...
We had so much fun with our family!!!
Now that I am older (and wiser?) I can honestly say that material gifts are REALLY NICE, but being with the people you love is even BETTER!
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The kids and I woke up to a wonderful surprise on Christmas morning!
The normally empty tree, was now FULL with presents...
The stockings were overflowing with treats...
And SOMEONE ate the cookies we set out for him! ;0)...
Rick had to work Christmas Eve night, so we waited to open our gifts until he got home in the morning. During that hour-or-so-waiting-time there was a lot of inspecting of the packages. Wyatt was SOOOOO SHOCKED and EXCITED that "Mrs. Clause" had presents for him too!!! Bea and I had listened to him say over and over (and over again) "I wonder what Mrs. Clause gave to me!?!?" When Rick got home, the Mrs.-Clause-Mystery was finally revealed!!! Inside the 4 packages from her were.......drum roll.....socks and underwear!!!...BAHAHAHAHA!!!
Of course Christmas wasn't a total bust though, lol...
I was super excited about my new robe...
...and my new fitness heart rate monitor!!!...
Christmas Cuddles were the VERY BEST!!!...
After hours of constructing new toys, it was time for me to get in the kitchen and make Christmas Dinner happen! I usually make a pot roast for this occasion, but I had a B.O.G.O. on the Thanksgiving Turkey, and so it was turkey for Christmas as well! :0) At Thanksgiving we ALWAYS have my mom's-family-recipe-stuffing...and so for Christmas, I decided to make my dad's-family-recipe-stuffing! This stuffing is way involved! First, you have to buy 5 loaves (!!!) of french bread, and then cube it up. Then, you soak those cubes in milk/water (GAG!)...
After you squeeze the liquid out of the bread, you add the rest of the ingredients...the most exciting of "other" ingredients, is of course the POUND of melted/browned butter! MMMMMMMM...
After the stuffing is prepared, you separate the skin of the turkey from the meat of the turkey, and you shove this stuffing in between those 2 parts...you have one VERY STUFFED turkey!!! And then it's on to roasting for hours! It wasn't uber pretty, but it sure tasted A-MA-ZING!!!!
For dessert, we had a couple of options...I had thought about making that incredible vanilla pound cake that I had been dreaming about...and then I had considered making the "Hot Chocolate Cupcakes" that were eyeing me in my cupboard...BUT in the end, one of Bea's Christmas gifts won out the competition...the Dairy Queen Blizzard Maker!!!
Rick utilized some of his stocking stuffers for his treat, lol!...
So that was our Christmas!
I can't believe how fast this holiday season came and went!
Every year life passes by quicker and quicker! :0/ Some days that's a good thing ("Kids stop fighting!"..."Seriously!? You spilt your milk!? Again!?"...), but over all it's too fast for my liking. These kids are growing by leaps and bounds on the daily, and before I know it they won't fit comfortably in my lap anymore. :0(
OK, enough about that...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!
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