We celebrated Christmas Eve with my family at my house. We had about 20 people over for dinner and presents. It was very nice. I think this year we had promised one another that we would not overdo it, however my family doesn't really know how to NOT overdo it so...
My best-friend Pea was here for the holidays. As is our custom she came over to spend the night so she could be with me and mine for the morning festivities. I gave my room to her and her man Alex, and D and I took the guest bedroom. After exchanging gifts with neighbors and friends on the Eve and getting to bed around 2 AM my mom woke us all at 7 AM to go see the kids meet up with their gifts from Santa.
We drove the two blocks to my sisters (it was cold out so I don't want to hear about it) and walked into hot coffee and bagels and MOUNDS of gifts. We all sat down to open stockings and then set the two youngest, Madison and Hayden, after their Santa gifts. After the whole six minutes it took them to tear through those we started in on the gifts for the kids from the rest of us. It took about an hour for them to get through those! My whole family agrees that it is easier for the adults to relax after the kids are done so that has been the routine for the last 5 years.
Once the dust had settled from the kids we grabbed some food and sat down to the serious business of the adult swap. I was treated way too well this year. My man and I had already given each other our gifts but I had bought him two small things to open; Barenaked on a Stick and his annual word-a-day calendar. Nothing huge, as we had seen BNL as our joint gift. However, my man loves to outdo me so...meet my new coat. I was shocked. He also got me new lotion and body spray in vanilla, but that was really for him. I love this coat, it is so very me and I love my man for knowing what I would really want.
My sister gave me the first season of Scrubs, my wonderful mom, after filling my stocking with gift cards and pretty things, gave me a large gift card to Lane Bryant and an AMAZING Rainbow Obsidian Face Goddess ring with an emerald in her headdress. Pea gave me a gorgeous Sweet Pea shirt and a real diamond for my nose piercing.
D and I gave away a Tivo, an LCD TV, a Anthropologie sweater, leather gloves, a trip to the local hottubs, massages, and some other stuff I will tell you about in a few minutes. People were pleased. I like making them happy, especially during the holidays.
D and I headed to San Diego on the 26th. We drove so we could have our car with us. We got Andrew and Jennifer on the 27th and the festivities began again. That night we exchanged gifts with D's kids and his mom and Frank. I got a Coach bag a new scarf, and a gift card to Barnes and Noble from mom and Frank, we had given them a new computer. D got personalized license plates for his motorcyle, a riding shirt and a Barnes and Noble gift card. Andrew gave us Serenity and a gift card to Outback.
It was time to give the kids their gifts. Mom and Frank gave them clothes and toys. We gave Andrew four wireless controllers, two for Xbox and two for PS2. We gave Jennifer a Dooney & Bourke purse. Both kids flipped out. They both looked like they had hit the lottery. Then we told Jennifer to check the cell phone pocket inside her purse and for Andrew to look deeper in the box; inside were tickets, two day passes to Disneyland and California Adventure Land. They were jumping up and down.
We visited with Lena and her brood the next day, had a visit with D's wonderful grandparents and then we had dinner with D's dad and his wife the next night, exchanged more gifts and generally had a lovely time.
The next morning we all dragged our butts out of bed at some ungodly hour and headed
to DL. We had booked a room across the street from DL and were able to leave our car there while we ran across the street to the park. Then we went wild. The park was very full so it took some time to get on the rides but it was awesome. Halfway through the day we split up, D and Andy went one way and Jen and I went another, just so we could have some alone time with the kids. Jen and I ran for Big Bear Mountain and then went to Splash Mountain. This would have been awesome except right after this picture was taken we hit the bottom and the water came over our heads and into our laps. As you can see from the photo, my mouth was open and I spent the next few seconds sputter and spitting. We were soaked, head to toe. We immediately went to three stores and purchased every warm thing we could find, two hundred dollars later we were warm again.
Shortly after that we met up with the boys and had dinner, hit as many more rides as possible and headed to the hotel. We were exhausted, our feet hurt, our backs hurt, our heads hurt. Poor D had a cold and we still had another day to go.
In the morning we headed back to DL to get in a few rides we missed the day before, then we headed to California Adventure. The first ride we went on was Tower of Terror. OMG, that is the BEST ride I have ever been on. I can not even describe it here, other than to say I have never screamed so loud on a ride in my life. Jen sat between Andy and I and on the first drop she grabbed my hand and we screamed together until we landed. It was brilliant.
By the end of the day we were all ready to go home. The kids slept in the back seat, I dozed in the front and poor D drove us back to SD
The next day we visited with family. We spent most of the day on the couch recovering. We were so sore from all that running around, and unfortunately, I was coming down with D's cold
NYE was no big deal. Jen and I rented some movies to watch. She and I were the only ones who lasted till midnight and I was out by 12:15. I woke D up to wish him a happy New Year and then crawled into bed
We headed back New Years day, leaving Jen with her grandparents for the next 24 hours until she headed back home. We dropped Andy off with his mom and spent a few minutes there before we drove those 8 hours back to our home
A long and beautiful trip, as always. D's family always feel like home to me. He and his kids, his folks, his cousins, his grandparents; I just want to thank them all for taking me in and making me one of theirs
My best-friend Pea was here for the holidays. As is our custom she came over to spend the night so she could be with me and mine for the morning festivities. I gave my room to her and her man Alex, and D and I took the guest bedroom. After exchanging gifts with neighbors and friends on the Eve and getting to bed around 2 AM my mom woke us all at 7 AM to go see the kids meet up with their gifts from Santa.
We drove the two blocks to my sisters (it was cold out so I don't want to hear about it) and walked into hot coffee and bagels and MOUNDS of gifts. We all sat down to open stockings and then set the two youngest, Madison and Hayden, after their Santa gifts. After the whole six minutes it took them to tear through those we started in on the gifts for the kids from the rest of us. It took about an hour for them to get through those! My whole family agrees that it is easier for the adults to relax after the kids are done so that has been the routine for the last 5 years.
Once the dust had settled from the kids we grabbed some food and sat down to the serious business of the adult swap. I was treated way too well this year. My man and I had already given each other our gifts but I had bought him two small things to open; Barenaked on a Stick and his annual word-a-day calendar. Nothing huge, as we had seen BNL as our joint gift. However, my man loves to outdo me so...meet my new coat. I was shocked. He also got me new lotion and body spray in vanilla, but that was really for him. I love this coat, it is so very me and I love my man for knowing what I would really want.
My sister gave me the first season of Scrubs, my wonderful mom, after filling my stocking with gift cards and pretty things, gave me a large gift card to Lane Bryant and an AMAZING Rainbow Obsidian Face Goddess ring with an emerald in her headdress. Pea gave me a gorgeous Sweet Pea shirt and a real diamond for my nose piercing.
D and I gave away a Tivo, an LCD TV, a Anthropologie sweater, leather gloves, a trip to the local hottubs, massages, and some other stuff I will tell you about in a few minutes. People were pleased. I like making them happy, especially during the holidays.
D and I headed to San Diego on the 26th. We drove so we could have our car with us. We got Andrew and Jennifer on the 27th and the festivities began again. That night we exchanged gifts with D's kids and his mom and Frank. I got a Coach bag a new scarf, and a gift card to Barnes and Noble from mom and Frank, we had given them a new computer. D got personalized license plates for his motorcyle, a riding shirt and a Barnes and Noble gift card. Andrew gave us Serenity and a gift card to Outback.
It was time to give the kids their gifts. Mom and Frank gave them clothes and toys. We gave Andrew four wireless controllers, two for Xbox and two for PS2. We gave Jennifer a Dooney & Bourke purse. Both kids flipped out. They both looked like they had hit the lottery. Then we told Jennifer to check the cell phone pocket inside her purse and for Andrew to look deeper in the box; inside were tickets, two day passes to Disneyland and California Adventure Land. They were jumping up and down.
We visited with Lena and her brood the next day, had a visit with D's wonderful grandparents and then we had dinner with D's dad and his wife the next night, exchanged more gifts and generally had a lovely time.
The next morning we all dragged our butts out of bed at some ungodly hour and headed
to DL. We had booked a room across the street from DL and were able to leave our car there while we ran across the street to the park. Then we went wild. The park was very full so it took some time to get on the rides but it was awesome. Halfway through the day we split up, D and Andy went one way and Jen and I went another, just so we could have some alone time with the kids. Jen and I ran for Big Bear Mountain and then went to Splash Mountain. This would have been awesome except right after this picture was taken we hit the bottom and the water came over our heads and into our laps. As you can see from the photo, my mouth was open and I spent the next few seconds sputter and spitting. We were soaked, head to toe. We immediately went to three stores and purchased every warm thing we could find, two hundred dollars later we were warm again.Shortly after that we met up with the boys and had dinner, hit as many more rides as possible and headed to the hotel. We were exhausted, our feet hurt, our backs hurt, our heads hurt. Poor D had a cold and we still had another day to go.
In the morning we headed back to DL to get in a few rides we missed the day before, then we headed to California Adventure. The first ride we went on was Tower of Terror. OMG, that is the BEST ride I have ever been on. I can not even describe it here, other than to say I have never screamed so loud on a ride in my life. Jen sat between Andy and I and on the first drop she grabbed my hand and we screamed together until we landed. It was brilliant.
By the end of the day we were all ready to go home. The kids slept in the back seat, I dozed in the front and poor D drove us back to SD
The next day we visited with family. We spent most of the day on the couch recovering. We were so sore from all that running around, and unfortunately, I was coming down with D's cold
NYE was no big deal. Jen and I rented some movies to watch. She and I were the only ones who lasted till midnight and I was out by 12:15. I woke D up to wish him a happy New Year and then crawled into bed
We headed back New Years day, leaving Jen with her grandparents for the next 24 hours until she headed back home. We dropped Andy off with his mom and spent a few minutes there before we drove those 8 hours back to our home
A long and beautiful trip, as always. D's family always feel like home to me. He and his kids, his folks, his cousins, his grandparents; I just want to thank them all for taking me in and making me one of theirs
1 comment:
Thank you for always thinking of me and my kids, Christmas has benn skinny for us the last few years and this next year promises to be lovely, I cant wait to share ALL of them with you guys.
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