Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas in review

My count down to crazy in now officially over, it's time to get out the vacuum and clean up this confetti! Yes, I DO still have a party to throw on January 3rd and Butter has asked for "crab legs" for her birthday dinner, but it was Christmas dinner I was most anxious about. See, when Hubby and I were discussing what to do for Christmas Eve this year, we host and normally have hors derv es. While out shopping we saw this roast, beef, and suddenly I had visions of an exquisitely dressed table and candle light and champagne flowing while we enjoyed this perfectly prepared roast. *pop* Then reality hit, I've never prepared or even EATEN Prime Rib before. Rob encouraged me to get it. "We'll just cook it in the crock pot." He said most assuredly. Okay, you foodies, before you start hyperventilating, let me assure you I DID NOT cook the prime rib in the crackpot, settle down. I searched the web for a recipe, well okay cooking INSTRUCTIONS more like, because prime rib is, I guess perfect on it's own. Once I found one I was confident with, I read it over and over again, mapping out the exact times at which to start it, turn off the oven for it to cook and then restarting the oven for it's final warm through and clocking it to be ready to carve at exactly 5:30pm. (Yes, I am that anal.) So if this pressure wasn't enough, the weather started to get in on the act too. Snownumi 2009. My Mother was coming for dinner, she would be the only hitch in the evening, how to get Mother safely here and back so she could spend Christmas morning with my sister. After going back and forth trying to make something work, We decided she would come out Wednesday. It was lovely to have her, I enjoyed watching her open our carefully chosen gifts for her. (That is MY favorite part) I sent her home with a huge piece of chocolate cake, since she wasn't going to be there for desert. Then it was time for her to leave, because we had a busy evening planned for the kids...more on that later. Let's go back just a bit...to Monday night. It was Roo's Christmas concert at preschool. He did such a great job standing up there and singing. I just wish my son wasn't "That kid" you know the one that gets nervous and acts like he's going to wet himself, grabbing his *cough* crouch and thrusting himself. I do have it on video. But I am choosing not to post it, I'm not looking to get in trouble with blogger for posting child pornography, even if he IS fully clothed and singing about jingle bells and baby Jesus.This one is innocent enough right? See the hands? Yeah, you know where they were, and that grin, yep, that says it all! Moving on to Wednesday evening. Butter and I went to the Ordway Theater to see Beauty and the Beast. She loved it, and it was a GIFT to me to be able to share that with her. We had a very good time, she even thought it was funny that I got "in trouble" for taking pictures inside the theater! I took ONE of the stage from our seats BEFORE the play even started, and then one of us sitting there together. I was putting the camera away when this usher came over and told me to delete my pictures and scolded me for taking them! Butter was very "Well, Mom you got in trouble, SEE I told you..." She did not tell me, because she didn't KNOW either. After the place began to fill, she'd see flash bulbs go off and proclaim "*grasp* They're NOT suppose to take pictures!" I would look at her and say "SEE! I wasn't the only one who DOES it and didn't know not too!" Then she would just sit there stewing because she like me can't stand a rule breaker!
I managed to keep just ONE picture, I think the guy was more interested in scolding me, then actually making sure I deleted ALL the pictures! HA, take that. (Okay, so I can break stupid rules! I have to have a picture of my daughter's first trip to the theater! I blog you know!)
Christmas Eve was gorgeous, huge fluffy flakes fell all day long, it was like living in a snowglobe. We headed off to church, having turned off the oven and letting the roast cook.

Here is our tree, just before everyone came and before dinner. I tell you I felt like Martha Claus popped into my home while I was gone and put that roast in my oven! When I puller it out of the oven, everyone standing around they all ooh and ahh'ed. I'm not kidding. The best part, I did NONE of the work, other then read the directions, plan the times and do it exactly as instructed. It was the most wonderful sight of beef I've ever seen, perfectly brown and "crusty" outside and a warm pink juicy center. *sigh* All that stupid worrying! Dinner was great. But it was time to open gifts. Again for me it's the GIVING that I enjoy. I spend a lot of time searching and planning for the perfect gift. This year Dad (in law) was most excited about his. My children were happy. My hubby enjoyed himself, and I did too. (I'll show you some of my gifts later) After everyone had left and the kids were in bed, Hubby too, I sat there, alone in the quiet house. I praised God for all my blessings and looked forward to celebrating HIS birthday, with nowhere to go, nowhere to be, noone to rush to see. It felt SO GOOD!


Christmas morning, waiting to dive in to what Santa brought. (I love that I'm always the one to grab the camera first! HA!)
Santa brought the Family a Wii and the "essentials" to use it. (recharger, extra remote)
This is one of the reasons I chose to stay home...so we could hang out as a family. Later we watched The Nativity Story together. I had forgotten how graphic it was, so Roo went in his room and played until just before baby Jesus was born. It was magical to me how the four of us were snuggled up together on the couch and watching the birth of our Savior...it is a tradition started. We were suppose to get together with family late in the day, but since his family made other choices, we decided to just stay home and get to bed early since we were all up late the night before. That for me was a bit of a disappointment. His Brother and Sister in law chose not to come see us. It was very difficult trying to explain to the kids people make choices and sometimes it's not one we like. I also had another unexpected thing happen. MY SISTER called. I have not spoken to her for over a year now. She called Christmas evening to wish us Merry Christmas. My niece had surgery earlier in the week, and I had talked to her on the phone a few times, I also sent my mom home with their gifts, but I never expected to hear from them. It was a sweet surprise. I invited her to the kids birthday, she said she would try to make it. I'm not jumping for joy here, but I do send Praise that He stirred something in her heart to nudge her to call. I KNOW that is from Him, because the way things were left, I did all I could do in that relationship, it was now out of my hands, ball in her court. She served it back and I gladly excepted it and offered her another volly. Only time will tell where her heart is in all this, I just keep praying.
Ok, let's get to the gifts! I got some awesome purse treats! Here let me show you!
This little case, purple of course, do you know what it holds?
It holds all this! I exclaimed to hubby "*gasp* Now I can groom you when we're not at home!!!!"
It is when I'm at a stop light or sitting next to him when I'll notice an ear hair or that his brows need trimming! It drives me crazy, him too, he hates when I pick at him. Sorry, it's just one of my ticks. I'm a picker.
Then we have this little bauble! Again purple!
It is a purse HANGER. It unfolds and you use it to hang your purse under the table when you are out to eat. This way your purse isn't on the floor or taking up precious booth room!
Hubby brought a gift home a few days before Christmas, he knows my gifts must remain hidden or I will go banana's trying to guess what they are. Some are easy, like cds or dvds. He just wraps them, no trying to be clever. But then we brought this box home. Wrapped of course and I was shaking it and lifting it and feeling it out. We got in bed that night and I started in. Knowing the Wii was coming, I said "It's the Wii Fit, you got me the Wii fit board."
"Not telling."
I pondered his answer, the tone, the timing...everything, I can read his responses.
"Hmmm, a new desk chair?"
"Yep, a new chair. You got it goodnight."
Too quick of an answer and the box wasn't big enough to be the chair I WANTED.
"Box is too small. A Tv you got a Tv for our room."
He let out a laugh, "Yeah, uh huh I BOUGHT a Tv!"
Okay, so that IS a bit out of the running.
"My frames!"
"How do you DO that!" He exclaimed playing it up like I got it right.
He wasn't looking at me though, so I knew that wasn't it. I rattled off a few more things that I knew weren't the right size, but if I can bug it out of him...
No dice, wouldn't give it up. I unwrapped a brand knew 19' Television set. Everyone in the room laughed. Apparently he WAS telling the truth, he didn't BUY it. He WON it, at work in "the Dice game". NICE. My record still stands. I guessed my gift. What I hadn't planned on was this other gadget.
SIGH, I love her! I needed a new phone so badly! My husband likes to keep tabs on me with "chirps". Motorola walkie talkie style chirps. I hate it. What I hate more...cell phone bills! This one is pay as I go. I finally have texting! and a Camera! Oh my twittering heart! I was up till 3AM Christmas eve reading the instruction book!!! The last phone I had I couldn't even tell you the phone number...I just used it. This one I spent a good portion of my relaxing day "playing" with my new toy. My entire calender, and phone book is in it. I can NOW relate to the panic of loosing you phone. Before I was like, "I'd LOVE to loose my phone! I can finally get one I want!"
So what was your favorite gifts? Both given and received?







1 comment:

  1. your son CRACKS me up! wonderful post sara and looks like a swonderful, smarvelous holiday for you! ☺

    ReplyDelete

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