A merry day

Hope y'all had a merry Christmas!

We had a great celebration. On Christmas eve, we had friends over for dinner and then we went to our respective churches for a 7 p.m. service. Our Christmas eve service went well and since we wanted to make it to the 11 p.m. service at the Disciples church across the river, we had the kids open up their presents from us. I had gotten a playhouse for Annalivia and a crawling tube for Daniel when they went on sale after the summer season at Target. I think I spent about $5 on them. They were both a big hit and entertained them pretty well!
We went to church though we were the only morons with children there. We've decided that we will definitely need to go to mass next year. Or the Lutheran version of it. Lessons and Carols is definitely not for kids. Annalivia stayed awake for the ENTIRE thing and was pretty antsy by the singing of Silent Night at the end. Daniel had fallen asleep on the way into the service and woke up as we were getting his coat back on as we were leaving. Annalivia fell asleep before we left the driveway of the church. Daniel took about a block longer.

After the kids were in bed, Dennis and I finished up the presents and exchanged gifts with each other. My sweet husband got me TWO Michael Buble cd's after I mentioned that I liked him a lot. I was really impressed. I also got the Bourne Ultimatum, thereby completing our collection, and some socks and another DVD, and a promise for a big present that is really, really generous. I did not expect that. He got a Carhart and a pair of jeans from me. And a picture collage of me and the kiddos for his office that I forgot to give him 'til this evening.

We were all pretty wiped out on Christmas morning. I was awake at 7 and was the first one up. I finally had to wake everyone else up a little before 8 because we needed to go to Eureka. The kids opened presents. Annalivia got a new baby doll and a wooden musical instrument set. Daniel got a wooden building block train and a wooden tool set. Annalivia immediately commandeered them.

We headed down to Eureka and got to spend some time with Grammy, Gramps and my great aunt, Audrey. I gave Grammy a lap quilt I had made on her sewing machine and Gramps got his customary Baby Swiss cheese from me -- a gift I've been giving him since I was in second grade. Aunt Audrey got homemade shortbread and tea.

Then Dennis and I took the kiddos out in the car to get them to take naps. They fell asleep pretty quickly, so we drove around the area and visited the open Walgreens and coveted farms near Eureka and saw a pretty lovely sunset.

When we returned to Mom and Dad's we had a great meal then opened more presents. We got some really great and useful stuff -- a dustbuster, towels and sheets, electric scissors, and an auto scanner that has Dennis over the moon. It was also just a lot of fun to give presents this year. My dad has learned how to roast meat, so I wrote out some recipes for him and gave him his very own roasting pan. The brothers in law got microbrews and homemade pretzels and nuts. My sister Roo makes great pancakes, so she got multigrain pancake mix and fixings. Kalin got sorority letters that I had my mother-in-law resurrect after I murdered them. And Dennis made my sister Lil a bunch of luminaries from mason jars that we put out at her big, gorgeous house after she left and then lit before she and Jake came home. Mom's present from me is not finished, but Dennis and Jake gave the gift of coordinating a sidewalk-replacement project at the farm next summer. It was just a lot of fun to give presents that mean something. I need to remember this for next year.

We got to sing some carols, which was great, although we didn't get to sing very long. My favorite part of carol-singing was the contribution of my niece, Cleya. She doesn't know the songs or the tunes but still sings VERY loudly in an "ah" with a very sweet and serious expression on her face. It is hilarious. She can sing louder than an entire room of adults. My sister says she does this in church all the time. I would love to be there.

We left really late from Eureka and got home two hours later. I think I fell asleep before the kids. I was SO tired and dear, sweet Dennis drove us home safely, though he had to be as tired as I. We got the kids in bed and dumped the presents on the couch and fell into bed.

And today, Dennis went to work at 5:30 and the kids and I just kind of decompressed, although I will admit, ashamedly, that I was very grumpy mommy today. But Dennis is off for a whole week now and tomorrow is Sistah Hang-Out time and Friday is the McClure family gathering and Saturday is the Stewart gathering and Sunday is church and Monday is New Years' Eve. And somewhere in here a goddaughter to both of us may be born.

So. I may take the week off. I hope everyone out there enjoys these days of Christmas! Blessings to you and yours!