Our Christmas

It comes and goes so quickly, quicker every year it seems! If I could just get our shopping done early, by November at least, maybe I could slow down and just enjoy the season. Maybe next year we can do that.

This was a bittersweet Christmas for me because it’s the last one with Kaylyn living in the house. I’m not even sure if she’ll be here on Christmas morning next year…I sure hope she is!

Christmas Eve I spent most of the day cleaning and doing last minute wrapping. I had all four of my kids home plus had a niece and Landon’s best friend from next door here for most of the day. Kaylyn made Christmas cookies with the kids like she does every Christmas Eve. I love that she does that. After we sent the neighbor home and I took my niece back to MIL’s house I let each of the kids open one of their gifts before we started making our rounds. Stephen opened his blanket from Bass Pro Shop, Kaylyn opened her jeans, Kinley her Vera Bradley purse and Landon his Fushigi ball. Kinley made two pumpkin pies for us to have for dessert the next day. I took a few pictures before we left to go to my Dad’s house. We were in a hurry so I didn’t take as many as I would have liked to. My pictures are still posting way too big and I still have no idea why so I apologize for how large they are.

The girls with Kaylyn’s new puppy, Max. He’s a sweet, sweet puppy. I can’t believe after so many years of not liking dogs we now have two.

I have a family picture that was taken at Daddy’s house but I hate how I look in it so not posting it. My face is very pale and it looks like I have on no eye make-up. I just do not take good pictures. Here is a picture of my daddy and stepmother with all ten grand kids and their first great grand daughter.

Here’s Stephen with Emery, my new great niece. The family is growing!

My sister had drawn my name and painted me a sign with our last name on it and got me an old-fashioned pop corn popper that I’ve been wanting. Jose’ got a Carhart coat, Stephen got a crock pot, a robe and some slippers. Kaylyn got a gift card to Target and a lap desk. Kinley got a necklace that has magnets on it that can pop off and we can order different ones to put on it and a pottery wheel (which is VERY messy). Landon got a scooter and a remote control helicopter (that he’s already broken).

We left there around eight and went to the in-laws house. My SIL didn’t get there until 9:30 so we didn’t do gifts there until around 10:00. The kids, by that time, had gotten very impatient and tired and irritable. MIL got me a large Circle K candle, Jose’ got some Polo Blue, Stephen got $40.00, Kaylyn got a wallet and a ceramic coffee mug, Kinley got a pillow pet and an I-tunes gift card and Landon got some wrestling men and a remote control car. Right before we left Landon was outside on the carport and threw up and he had a little fever but by the next day was fine. I don’t know what was going on with that. My MIL got me a big candle and SIL got me a gift card to Pier One that I gave to Kaylyn because I never go to that store. I guess I could have gotten something online with it but I just let her have it. Jose’ got some Polo Blue cologne that his mom and sister went in together to get.

When we got home I got the kids settled down and then started cleaning and straightening some while I waited on them to go to sleep so I could put stuff out. I kept hearing Kaylyn on her phone in her room and then she came out and asked if she could help set stuff out. Why not since she already knew everything she was getting. So, I let her and it was fun but weird because I’m use to doing that by myself.

The green wrapping paper was Kinley’s. She got a phone from Santa so that’s not wrapped. The other gifts are a pair of Miss Me jeans that a friend of mine bought for her, a North Face jacket, Babysittin’ Mama for the Wii, mancala game and a Headbanz game.

Landon had the Thomas the Train wrapping paper. From Santa he got Paper Jamz guitar and amp. Wrapped he had a machine gun with lights and sounds, toy hamster in ball, Donkey Kong for the Wii, shirt with Toy Story and one with Mario and two pair of pajama bottoms.

Kaylyn had blue snowman paper. From Santa she got a Coach purse. Wrapped she had American Eagle jeans, Vera Bradley duffel bag, Vera Bradley trip kit, Victoria’s Secret pajama bottoms and some house shoes. The red bad is for Max, her puppy, and it’s two squeaky toys.

Stephen’s paper was dark green. From Santa he got a Montel blender that he really wanted. It’s funny when your grown kids start asking for household products LOL. Wrapped he got a blanket from Bass Pro Shop, a desk lamp, Polo Blue cologne, Rubik’s Cube slider game, pajama bottoms and socks.

Then I went to bed and listened to Christmas music until I fell asleep. It was so hard falling asleep being excited about the next morning…I love that feeling :-).

Stephen of all people was the one who woke us up the next morning ready to see what he got. I love that child!! He came in our room at 6:30 and said it was getting late LOL. Jose’ had already gotten up and had started boiling the chicken for our dressing and making cornbread. I woke the other kids up. Everybody loved everything they got, including Jose’ and I. Stephen got me a set of Paula Dean cookware.

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I LOVE it!! Jose’ got me a purse and wallet, an amethyst heart necklace, two pair of house shoes, some candles and some pajamas that I have to exchange because they are too little.

For lunch Jose’ cooked a ham and made dressing. I made a brocoli cheese casserole, some homemade macaroni and cheese and some yeast rolls. For dessert we had the two pumpkin pies that Kinley made and a lemon icebox pie that MIL made. We spent the rest of the day playing with the kids’ toys, straightening up some and I think we all took a nap. Around 4:00 Kaylyn was leaving to go to her boyfriend’s house so we went ahead and did our stockings. We usually don’t do them until dark but I wanted us to do them all together so we did them early.

That was about it for our Christmas. It was a good one and as always I am sad that it’s over but now am looking forward to a big New Year’s Eve get together we are having here.