Holiday Re-cap

Wow! It all went by so fast.... it feels like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's happened within a few days of each other. Christmas was wonderful! I had dinner with my dear childhood friends on 12/23! We have been getting together at Christmas (as well as about every other month) for 13 years! L used to live nearby and would cook a wonderful meal for us every year, but now that she remarried and lives in Hville, we went to dinner and then dessert at J's house. It was a lot of fun to catch up and laugh with each other!

The Bunch started out on Christmas Eve by going to Meme and Boppa's for dinner and we continued our traditions that they started a few years ago with our stocking prayer and birthday cake for Jesus. I think that this is Sweetie pants' favorite part of Christmas. She stalks that cake until we are ready to light the candles and would eat three pieces if we let her! LOL! We decorated cookies for Santa and the kiddos loved their gifts from Meme and Boppa.

We left with a just a little energy left to set out cookies and milk for Santa on our special plate given to us years ago from nana and also to sprinkle the reindeer food in the cold and wet backyard. We also had to say bye to Peyton the Elf as it was time for Santa to take him back to the Northpole!

Oh! On the way home from Meme and Boppa's, Sweetie lost a tooth- so we had Santa AND the tooth fairy in our house on the SAME night! Boy, oh boy! The Tooth Fairy left Sweetie 3 dollars and accidentally shed one of her gorgeous feathers and left one of her itty bitty earrings on the floor. Smarty Pants and I just imagined that Santa and the Tooth Fairy must have high-fived when they were in our house!


Funny and I went to bed very, very late. Since we got home later than normal, we had to make sure that our sleepy kiddos were completely asleep...I don't see how Santa does it. So, Christmas morning and most of the day are a blur from the fact that I hadn't really had more than 5 hours of sleep a night for more than a few days. (thankfully, I have slept better since then...)




We awoke at 530a on Christmas morning and waited to hear the first rustle in one of their rooms. Sassy was up and ready by 6a, so we knew it was time to peel ourselves out of bed! Santa brought great toys for the bunch! Cutie got DRUMS (and a train table from us)! Sassy got a camera, fluffy factory, and a bunch of girlie stuff, Sweetie got the amazing skating puppy, digital art studio, and a bunch of girlie stuff, and of course smarty got legos and some battling helicopters (that have crashed and broken numerous times!) FUN! My funny pants did way too much for me- clothes, jewelry, ipod converter thingie, movie, really cool ring! Thanks funny.

After a quick breakfast, we jetted to Mama Lene's and had great food and the kids received some great gifts from Ann, Kay and Mama Lene. Adorable dolls, books, cute plates & cups, trains, etc... We had a great time at their beautiful new house on the "lake". Funny, Smarty and Papa played football in the front yard and had a great time! Aunt Jen, Funny and I had a great time teasing Aunt Ann with re-arranging her Merry Christmas letters to spell random words. Hee!

We then went to Nana and Papa's and had Christmas with them and Jen, Steve, Audrey & Caroline. We always have a huge haul of gifts that come from Nana's house and this was no exception! The kids got clothes, toys, candy, and more and by the time we left- the ole volvo was so loaded down! We had a great time with everyone! I just wish that we had more time with each house! We stayed 4 hours at Meme & Boppas, 4 hours at Mama Lene's and 4 hours at Nana & Papa's. I also wish we could have taken more photos, but with 4 kids- it is PURE chaos!

We spent New Year's Eve with dear friends down the road that also have 4 children. We had a blast playing cards, eating a ton of sweets and drinking diet mt dew. My how times have changed! Funny and I came home at 9p and watched Honeymooners marathon until midnight and we sipped champagne (how can just a little give you a headache like we have today? dunno)and toasted to a great 2009. May God Bless and protect us all in 2009! Love to you!

PS- Our house is carbon monoxide free now and we are starting to feel a little better. We have good days and bad. Sassy had a good appt at the endrocrinologist this week and that doc told me to give Sassy dimetapp to help with eyes and throat. We are still going to have to deal with the builder, but I am not involved. Funny is going to deal with that one... thanks for your concern!