It Was a Small Glimpse

Christmas. You spend weeks preparing for the big day. Shopping, baking, wrapping, cleaning, making lists, organizing, planning, visiting, and when the day arrives, you blink and it's over.
This year seemed different. This year seemed like we did it right. The end of each day, when the kids were safe and fast asleep, Dave and I could relax and relive the events of the day. We had the chance to enjoy each other. Maybe it was because we were prepared. (Another pro for being home all the time, allows me the time to prepare.) Or maybe it was because we cut things out and eliminated some events from our list so we weren't so busy all the time. But the main reason we got it right was we had the opportunity to find quiet and peace and JOY. I felt a blanket of Love surrounding us this year. Christmas we celebrate Christ's birth, the day that God sent LOVE down to earth to save us. And Love is what I felt.

Opening up the first gifts of Christmas

Sporting new pj's from Gramma

Snuggles with baby Mason, newest addition to the family

Santa doesn't forget the kitties!

We celebrated Christmas on the 23rd with my family. This year, instead of us adults exchanging gifts we all went out for lunch at the Mandarin. After stuffing ourselves, we came back to our place and let the kids open up their gifts and just hung out. The 24th, as we do every year, we all gathered at my parents place and had a potluck meal and gift games with my aunts, uncles and cousins. I love this get together, it is so much fun to see all of my cousins again, and meet new little ones.
Christmas Day was spent at home, the kids actually slept in? We opened up stockings and presents and had a quiet morning. Dave's mom came around 10:30 (his Dad stayed home sick) and we ate all day long. My parents and Buddy and Benji later joined us and it is the very first year that Dave and I prepared a turkey! I felt quite accomplished after pulling that off successfully. But I'm truly blessed to have a husband who likes to be in the kitchen. I wouldn't be able to pull it off without him! Yesterday we went out to Walmart. We got a couple of things on sale and spent the rest of the day home. Dave took the left over turkey and made a soup for our supper and had his parents come and help eat that. (His dad was feeling better). And today I don't know what is on the agenda. Caleb has been getting the odd fever here and there, but we may venture out to my parents, as Dave is back to work today. But first I think we'll all bundle up and shovel the drive way!

A new Donkey Hat!

Sitting down for our turkey dinner

This is how I eat pie
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!