Merry Christmas 2011

**Warning:  This post is going to be LOONNGGG…**

I think this has been hands down, my favorite Christmas to date.  It was not the Christmas with the most presents (in fact, I think this is the year where the space under our tree has looked the most sparse, ha!).  These last few days leading up to Christmas were spent with Jesse & the boys having a great time together. 

I was only supposed to be off work on Monday after Christmas, but we got a surprise email from Gov. Scott saying that we would be closed on Friday before Christmas also.  Yay for a 4 day weekend!! 

On Friday, we went to Alachua to pick up our family Christmas present, a new golf cart!!  We got a great deal on it, and Waylon is in love with the “dune buggy” (his own description).  We also went to Gainesville to pick up Waylon’s new lenses for his glasses, as we were leaving the store he told the guy, “Thanks for my new windshield!!”  Our nieces, Caitlyn & Leah, came over for a play date and stayed for supper and we had a wonderful time visiting with them. 

On Christmas Eve, we started the morning out by taking some pictures with Jesse and the turkey he killed that morning.  Here’s a couple of favorites…

After all that, we took ride on the golf cart out to the woods and took a few snapshots.  Here’s my favorites from the woods…

We had just gotten home and ate lunch when the phone rang and the caller ID said “Cracker Box,” which is a small restaurant in our town.  Jesse and I were looking at each other wondering who in the world would be calling us from the Cracker Box, when it dawned on me!  I had entered the boys in a drawing to win a Lightning McQueen Power Wheels being given away by the owner!!  They were calling to say that Wyatt WON!!!  We had 15 minutes to get to town to claim our prize!

Wyatt and Ms. Aline from the Cracker Box

He was so excited!  He told Ms. Aline (who I thought was going to just cry right there on the spot, she was so excited for him!) “Every time I go to the store, I’ve been wanting one of these!”  He gave all the ladies at the Box a hug and a “Merry Christmas!”

Wrapping up Christmas Eve was Wyatt waking up from a nap with a 1o3 fever :(  That didn’t stop him from baking cookies for Santa, or from going outside to sprinkle the reindeer food.  The boys left a huge pile of cookies, a big ol glass of milk, and a can of corn! Yep, a can of corn.  Wyatt insisted on leaving Santa a vegetable.  We gave him a choice of corn or green beans, and corn it was!

They played around the Christmas tree for a little bit…

And then it was time for bed!!  We read “The Night Before Christmas” and a story about having a Happy Birthday Celebration for Jesus.  It was an uneventful night until midnight, when Wyatt woke up and came in our room telling me that Santa had come!! It took a bit of doing to get that boy settled down and back to bed.  (I’m still not sure what time he finally went to sleep!)  Once morning came, Jesse and I were up before the boys, and waited about 15 minutes before Wyatt woke up and we had to wake Waylon up!!

They had a great time opening presents and telling Jesus Happy Birthday. 

We got them LeapPads and as soon as Waylon opened his, he yelled, “I got an IPod!!”  Silly boy…  The rest of the day was spent at church and getting ready for Aunt Tania and her crew, and Nana and Papa to come over that evening. 

We took the annual picture of all the kids in front of the tree…

This is going to get funnier when Tania’s kids are 19 & 21, and my kids are 11 & 12!!

Sadly, I didn’t take any more pictures the rest of the evening!  We were having a ton of fun just visiting together, watching the kids run around and play outside, and eating lots of yummy food!!

This year was special to me.  We didn’t do anything very different from any other year, but it just seemed like a closer time with family, and I felt like I didn’t get so caught up in getting stressed out with a million things to do. I just enjoyed them.  I looked at Christmas through my kid’s eyes and soaked in their excitement.  I am so thankful to have a loving family, great friends, and a glorious Savior to celebrate!!

I hope you all had a joyous Christmas!!