This Christmas

So here I sit, by the warm fire, bowl games on TV, and a dying Christmas tree that I pray makes it until New Years! Jeremie and I returned from Christmas in MS last night and we were some tired puppies.

This Christmas season wasn't how I envisioned it, but as a result, some sweet memories were made. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mom was determined I would have some Christmas decorations out before she left Dallas. So as I sat in an office chair (that we labeled my "wheelchair") she pulled out a lot of them. It was fun unpacking them out with her, because she loves Christmas decorations as much as I do. So a couple weeks later, after I finally had the energy to decorate the tree, here was the end result:

Christmas shopping was also a little harder this year since I was sick. (Let's just say a lot of people got gift cards.) Sweet hubby did help with the shopping and took me to Ross one day where I shuffled myself around leaning on the buggy. And I have to admit--Ross stepped up to the plate, because we found a  lot of of great gifts there!

And one night, a Christmas tradition came to us: Carolers!!! We had several elementary school kids show up at the door singing Jingle Bell Rock. It was about the cutest thing I've ever seen, so of course, I HAD to take a picture.

We headed to MS last Friday and after dodging the Dallas traffic the first 30 minutes of our trip, my head was already spinning.  Lucky for me, I was prepared, popped a Dramamine, and was asleep in 30 minutes. About 4 hours later, I woke up long enough to use the bathroom, eat some Wendy's and take another Dramamine. (Actually, we stopped at Toys R Us for a few minutes to get something for Judah, but all I remember is J making me sit on a bicycle box and coming to get me after his purchase.) Jeremie's parents was the first stop and Sunday we headed to Fairhope to have Christmas with Lauren & Gray. Judah LOVED his gifts (a xylophone and a Caterpillar tunnel) and he was a hoot to watch. Such a change from the silent sleeping baby last year!  But look at that face.

Christmas Eve was busy wrapping gifts (and eating gumbo) with my sister and my mom, which was a ball. Christmas morning was the traditional breakfast-in-your-pajamas at Jeremie's grandparents and then off to my parent's for lunch and gifts. My family put together the funniest gag gift for J. He is always talking about finding lease land that he can hunt on in Texas, so my parents thought they would help put together everything he would need for a "suburban hunt": a shooting house (shoe box), a corn feeder (coffee can), a toy gun, a target, and an inflatable moose head. It was a hoot!

Here is our 2012 pic! Our FOURTH Christmas married and EIGHTH Christmas as a couple! Hard to believe!

I love love love Christmas, even when it turns out a little different than you expected. And most of all, I am SO thankful that we have loving families to go home to; that kind of tradition is better than any gift you could buy!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!