What a season this was. I had all kinds of aspirations of getting Christmas out and ready right after Thanksgiving - because I love all the magic that comes with the decorations. I remember very fondly helping my mom and dad decorating for Christmas. With Mom it was all the little knick-knacks. With Dad, he and I were in charge of getting out the tree and straightening the branches and putting on the lights before anything could be hung on it.
Unfortunately this year, I didn't get a chance to get out the tree until the week of Christmas. With Clint traveling, there just always seems to be so many other things that I get busy with. But we did have some decorations out around the house. And I was able to bake quite a bit. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I baked more than loaves of homemade Pumpkin bread than I remember. I also made a couple apple pies, pumpkin pies and even a cherry pie. And while I didn't get a chance to have the kids make and decorate sugar cookies, we did make chocolate chip cookies for Santa. I guess some is better than none! I have really started to enjoy making pies. My sister definitely makes the prettier pies, but I have started to embelish my crusts a little bit, this time with a cut out of an evergreen tree with snowflakes surrounding it. We get a tad whimsical in our family!
On the 19th I had my first grown up adult work party. Well, at least the first one that I went to. I haven't gone to any for Unisys. But since the company that Clint is working for is a very small one, we had to make an appearance. I was able to go shopping and buy a very cute red sparkly shirt and red heels. LOVE THEM!!! And while the party was what we in our family like to call "Mandatory Fun" it was still nice to out as adults. The kids stay the night with my parents.
On the 20th we celebrate our extended family Christmas at my parents house. Lukily Mom and Dad were running late because Mom forgot to turn on the oven in the morning to cook the turkey so I did have time to finish the pies and wrap presents. Clint had gotten into town just a couple days before and he decided Saturday morning that he would come to the grocery store with me - well we ended up spending too much time shopping that I almost didn't have enough time to finish everything else. We had a good time opening gifts with everyone. I was very satisfied with what I was able to find....travel games for Mom and Dad for their new travel trailer. A fish store gift certificate for Casey so that he can indulge in his new past time - salt water fish tank. Cake/Frosting books for my ever creative sister. A bath Ariel Barbie for my little princess Mckayla and a couture fashion Paris canvas for my "mini-me" Logan! :-) I really enjoy shopping for my nieces - their such girls that it's soooo much fun for me.
Christmas at our house was equally enjoyable. I was able to take 2 days off work so I had a total of 5 days to "relax". Christmas Eve Lorelle and I made cookies for Santa and set them out with his chocolate milk. We read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, the letters they had gotten from Santa (via my mom) and made sure to flash the lights before going to bed so that Santa would know the kids were asleep and he could come to our house. Luckily I wasn't up too late wrapping presents. I had wrapped all the gifts from Clint and I the night before. The only ones left to wrap were from Santa - because I had special wrapping paper that had picture of Santa on it to indicate those were the ones from him.
I believe Lorelle came to wake me up around 6:30 or 7:00 AM on Christmas morning....she was promptly told it was WAY to early to be awake yet. She finally convinced Clint and I to get out of bed around 8:15, but it was a struggle for us to get Tyler up. And I noticed so I went to go get Tyler that Lorelle had already dug into her stocking - oh well! The kids had quite and amazing Christmast - we may have gone a little overboard. Because Clint was traveling he asked me to take care of the shopping. And I did most of it, only waiting to buy a couple big things for the kids and jammies until he got back into town. Well then after he and I went together then he decided to go AGAIN. So they pretty much ended up with 3 Christmases! Oh well, if we can't spoil 'em at Christmas when can we?!?!? Among everything, Tyler got a Lightening McQueen and Mack set from CARS and a Thomas the Train train set. Lorelle got a Barbie Mermadia bath water park and her specifically requested "the Barbie Diamond Castle Barbie with the pink and orange dress". And of course a TON of clothes for both. Clint bought himself tools and I got him some blue ray dvds. I asked and got a bread maker - yes it may seem weird, but I've wanted one for years. And then a couple cds - Theory of a Dead Man, Papa Roach and Hinder.
For Christmas Day we had Clint's brother Karl and my Mom and Dad over. Mom wasn't feeling too well because of her untimely stay in the hospital at the beginning of the week so she chilled with Clint and Karl watching movies while I made dinner. Dad help set the table and then clean up - he's so good at picking a turkey! Then Dad and I helped both the kids learn how the skate on their new roller skates. Lorelle has been asking for skates for about a year and I knew I couldn't get her a pair without Tyler wanting them. And since both of them loved ice-skating for Logan's birthday in November, I knew they would enjoy the skates. And then did. Though when Lorelle came in the house she complained of her bum hurting from falling down. But all in all we had a very wonderful Christmas! Though I think the best part for me was the next several days of just laying around doing NOTHING!!! I hope everyone's Christmas was just as wonderful and magical!
