Wrapping up Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of warm, fuzzy memories! I had such a great time this year. There weren't lots of presents and we didn't go down to my aunt's farm, but it was great just keeping it simple.

I woke up early on Christmas Eve, after staying up late printing calendars and scanning photos. I decided to print some layouts (since my Shutterfly books weren't going to make it until Friday) and make some gift tags. Then I had to wrap gifts. I am the worst wrapper. I mangle the paper and leave it cut to pieces. I finished up everything I needed to get done around 2 p.m., so I decided to take a nap. I was just about to jump in the shower around 4 when the doorbell rang. It was UPS with my Shutterfly books! A Christmas miracle!!!
After trying to get Penny to pose for some photos (not successfully), I was off to my brother's house for dinner. Dad ordered pork, chicken, rice, beans and platanos from a Cuban place. Vez made some pretty good egg nog, too. And we had yummy pastries for dessert. The girls got some fun gifts from Dad and Sendi: super cute Fur Real puppies that move and bark (the girls named them Penny & Rocky!), Sleeping Beauty dolls and her walking horse, pink chairs and some clothes and pjs. I showed the girls where Santa was using the NORAD site. Think that also helped convince them they needed to go to bed. Mike experimented with his new espresso maker, tryng to make some cafe con leche.

After leaving Mike's, I headed over to Teri's house, where Mom, Randi and Grandma were having dinner. I had told Grandma she was in for a treat - the conversations at Teri's can get pretty colorful. Had some more coffee. We stayed there until around midnight.

Christmas morning, I got dressed up - something I don't usually do! Randi and Rocky came over around nine, followed by Aunt Lorraine, Grandma, Joanie, Corrine and her dog Angel, and then Mike, Vez and the girls. Angel didn't like having Rocky and Penny sniffing at her, but after awhile they all got along. We let the girls open their gifts first. The girls got some clothes, Baby Alive from Great-Grandma, games for their new Wii, new books from me. Kylie got High School musical dolls that sing from Randi and some My Little Pony sets from me. Taylor seemed a little disappointed that she didn't have as much to open. But she got bigger gifts - like the Vtech camera I got her. Mom got a digital camera. Mike got a GPS. Randi got a crock pot and a John Lennon book. Everyone got calendars and ornaments that I made. Penny & Rocky got lots of treats and some new toys. And I gave Vez the layouts with the note saying the books wouldn't come - before giving her the Shutterfly book! Hee! Everyone loved them.
Here's what I got: A new printer - that I actually got already; seasons 3 & 4 of The Office; Guitar Hero World Tour; Sex & The City the Movie; The Simpsons Season 11; a big We R Memory Keepers magnetic board; Xyron Create-A-Sticker and refills; a GC to an Italian restaurant; and some cash. I didn't expect this much at all!

Mike made breakfast - a Christmas tradition - and we stuffed ourselves on eggs, bacon, sausage, cinnamon rolls, croissants, coffee and egg nog. After everyone left, Randi and I watched a The Muppets Letters to Santa, which I had tivo-ed a few weeks ago. We went back to her house for a bit and then went to the movies to see Marley & Me. A good movie but a total sob fest! The whole room was bawling at the end! And I have never seen the movies so packed.

We went over to Mike's for dinner where we had lots of food between the leftovers from Christmas Eve, and some more stuff: chicken parm, garlic shrip, ribs. (We have a lot of picky eaters - especially me & Taylor - so we always have lots of options!) Randi made cheesecake for dessert.

We also had a blast playing wii! At first it was just me & Taylor. But then Mike joined us playing Carnival. And once I found the ski ball game, we had everyone in on it, including Kylie and Mom. Mike and Vez are very competitive so they were trying to top each other's scores. Mike was pretty good playing from his armchair!

After all that, I was just beat. My cold has been getting better, but it seems to be all in my ears now. I was in bed before 11! I slept in and the girls came over again. I played with them a bit before heading to work.