Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas festivities started last Wednesday night when we loaded up and went to Stroud's for dinner. This is a tradition that Andy and I started last year and really looked forward to it again this year. After dinner, we went back home and Briley decorated Santa's cookies. She also got to open one present which was her Christmas PJ's. She wanted to put them on right away. We then put the reindeer's food outside and read T'was the Night Before Christmas. It was then off to bed because Santa was going to be coming down our chimney later that night. She was so excited about Santa coming to her house! After she went to bed, Andy taped wrapping paper in the entry way so she wouldn't sneak downstairs. The funny thing was she didn't rip through it the next morning, She and Viva crawled under it. I guess it didn't really do it's job if she really wanted to sneak down.






The next morning, Briley got up and crawled into bed with us like she does about every morning. She wanted us to turn Handy Manny on. We asked her if she remembered who was supposed to be coming to our house the night before. A smile spread across her face and she said, "Ho Ho bring Briley presents?" She got up quickly and we went downstairs to check it out. Well, Santa gave her just what she wanted, a big pink present. Presents took awhile to open because she had to stop in between to go back to her kitchen.
Andy gave me a prenatal massage as my big gift and I can hardly wait! I have just entered the third trimester and with that comes more aches and pains. I can hardly wait to get my massage. I also got some slippers, a coffee grinder, and another present which STILL hasn't shown up yet. Gotta love the post office! I gave Andy a night out. Am is coming next weekend to watch Briley and we are going to the Plaza for the night. I have booked a room and we can sleep in as long as we want with no Handy Manny in the morning. I think we both are really looking forward to it. He also got a tool box and a framed collage of Cardinals games that we have gone to to hang in his "man cave" when he gets it finished.
After having breakfast in our dining room with our Christmas china (we never eat in the dining room), we packed up and got on the road. The weather was starting to get nasty and we wanted to get home before it got too bad. Christmas Eve night was spent going to my Church at 5:00 and then over to my Dad's for soup. My Uncle Rick, his girlfriend Lisa, her sister, and my Dad's good friend Jack came over. We opened gifts with them before getting ready for Midnight Mass with Andy's family. Briley got a washing machine, baby doll, and apron from Rick and Lisa. She was so excited about it. The washing machine was in many parts so we told her that Santa might work on it when he stopped by my Dad's that night. She took a little nap with her new baby doll later on before we had to go to Church.
After Midnight Mass, Andy's Dad read Twas the Night Before Christmas. It was strange that Briley was the only Grandchild there this year. She didn't have to share Papa's lap. I hope she enjoyed it because it will be the last time that it will be just her.






On Christmas morning we got up and waited for the Farwells to come over. Once they got there, Briley and Ellie snuck into the family room without being noticed. We look in and they are already playing with the toys that Santa left! It was really funny to look at them in there checking everything out before everyone else. Andy walked in and spotted a stack of gifts that were all the same size and one for each family. He asked me what I thought they were, and I said I didn't know. When his parents finally passed them out, he ripped it open and started jumping up and down when that Mickey Mouse balloon flew out. I don't think I could begin to describe the joy on his face when he learned that we were going to Disney World. He still has the heart of a child and I can't wait to see his face as he enters the Magic Kingdom with Briley and our new little one.





We went back over to my Dad's house afterwards to open presents with them. Santa had put her washing machine together over the night and that made her very excited. She opened a couple of gifts and then she fell asleep. Christmas exhausted her. She slept for two and a half hours before finally waking up to open the rest of her gifts. It was killing my sister because one of those unopened gifts was from her. She gave her a really neat Wizard of Oz pop up book. We have it put up for now because I don't want her to tear it up. It is the most impressive book I've ever seen. She and Andy also got a sled and she got a scooter. So far Santa has been good to her and she still has two more to go! That night we had dinner at Andy's parent's house. My family also came over which is so nice. I love spending Christmas with my whole family. That night we went to my Mom's to spend the night and have Christmas with her the next morning.






We woke up Saturday and opened presents with my Mom, Jeff, and his kids. I got a really cute new beach cruiser which I am very excited about, Briley got a doll buggy and too many other gifts to name! Saturday afternoon was spent with family and that night we went to Tom's to have dinner with the Early side. We spent the night with my Dad and the next day we packed up the car, ate lunch with the Cleavers, and off to my Grandma's house for lunch before heading back home. We got home Sunday night and were so happy to be back. We got a lot of snow here so Andy worked on shoveling the driveway while I started unpacking the car. After getting things put away we were off to bed and couldn't be happier. Thank you to everyone for a great Christmas!