Our Christmas....

...was perfect!

We spent Christmas Eve at my Nana's, as has been the tradition since I was little. The Christmas Eve party has always felt a little "empty" since my mom & Grandpa passed away though. Even with all the fun and excitement of seeing it through Arissa, Mariah, and Mallory's eyes, it's always felt (to me) a little incomplete w/out my mom & Grandpa. But this year, we invited Jesse's Grandma, his uncle & 4 nieces (in addition to my Dad, mother in law Mariann, cousin Becki & husband John & baby Audrey). It was a lot of fun, very happy and cheerful just like Christmas is supposed to be. And with all the fun & laughter, I felt a little less like something was missing or wrong. Being around my family (immediate and extended) always makes me think....I am lucky. Lucky that God gave me the mom & dad that he did, and the grandparents, but also my new family. I don't think it's any secret that Jesse and I didn't know everything we should have about one another when we got married and started a family, and I am so lucky that the family I gained by marrying him are loving, fun, truly likeable people.

Anyways, so we had food and opened gifts, laughed a lot. (Well, I always laugh a lot). We went home, put M&M to bed, then Arissa Jesse & I watched Miracle on 34th Street, the original version. I love that movie! I used to watch it over and over and over when I was little, all throughout the year. Eventually we all fell asleep...it could only have been cozier if we'd had a fire in the fireplace (and if we had a fireplace!). :o) As what I decided to consider a Christmas gift to Jesse and I, the girls didn't wake up the next morning until about 8:30. LOVED that!! We rushed to the living room and opened it all.....it was a blur of wrapping paper being torn, toys a-flying, smiles, and thank-yous, and "I can't beLIEVE it!" (by Mallory). Hannah Montana and the Disney Princesses were most of what was under the tree....a little bit of Dora, some Shrek, and Barbie in the mix too.

After the mess was made, my Dad and Grandma came over to see what the girls had got, and to be given their presents. Then we were off to Grandma Mariann's (my mother in law) for breakfast. Jesse looks forward to this breakfast the whole year, because in our house for breakfast you only get cereal or pancakes, or sometimes scrambled eggs. But at his mom's for Christmas breakfast, we get biscuits & gravy, eggs, hashbrowns, and corn beef hash. After we ate, we opened gifts....so many nice clothes & pjs for all of us. I haven't taken mine off since I got them (except to go to work). :o)

Then we started reading a book about the Story of Christmas....and didn't finish until an hour and five minutes later!!! (It was a deceiving book....little on the outside, LOTS of words inside!). But it was nice, I like the way it told the story that we've all heard a million times...it kind of made you think.

Then it was home for naps for all!!! (YES!!!) It was a wonderful Christmas. And the very next day I managed to get all our Christmas decor boxed up and back in the garage (except for the tree and the outside decoartions).

And some of the pictures....