Christmas 2008

Every year Christmas comes a bit more quickly and this year was no exception. I looked up one day and it was the 20th of December. Forget making cute cookies and watching holiday specials with the girls and wrapping presents ahead of time and getting our Christmas letter out, and sending Christmas gifts to other family members far away. It was all I could do to just finish the basics before my mom arrived, things like cleaning the house and getting all of our laundry done so she wouldn't wonder what it was that I did with all of my time. (things like playing on Facebook or my mom's board).

My mom got here on the 23rd to spend her first Christmas with us since Maddie was a year old. Christmas Eve day I took the girls to see Santa. I wish that I could say that it is a family tradition to wait to see him until Christmas Eve but the truth is that ever year I find myself at the last moment taking them. Guess how long you have to wait in line on Christmas Eve? Because the line was 2 hours long I left Destiny in line at the city square in Marietta (she had a cell phone and a nice mom behind her in line to watch out for her) and hightailed it over to Honey Baked Hams to pick up our dinner for Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve was spent at church. It was a wonderful peaceful interlude and a reminder of the reason for the season. We then grabbed some late dinner with our friends, Cindy and Kyle and their kids. When you wait until 7:00 on Christmas Eve to find someplace to eat you have to take what you can get. Our choices included Mexican or the Waffle House. I voted Waffle House but was overruled and we ate Mexican and were the absolutely last customers of the evening. When we got home the girls fell asleep fairly quickly but as much as I wanted to go to bed, there were a mound of presents to be wrapped and so wrap I did until almost midnight. The girls made out this year. Next year I am getting an excel spreadsheet so that I can keep track of all the "bargains" that I find through the year to avoid the kids getting so much.

Remarkably, everyone slept until after eight and the girls were even sweet enough to grab a Bible and remind me that the Christmas story needed to be read before we opened presents. Favorite gifts included, new bikes for the girls from Oma and Opa, a sewing machine, flip video and arts and crafts table from Santa, new clothing from Mom and certificates from Dad good for a night of camping out, a set up of their own computer and the building of a stage so that they could have their own shows in the basement.

We have been hanging out the past few days. The girls and Bud have gone to lunch and to an indoor play place, to the driving range to hit golf balls and camping out in the backyard. Mom and I have enjoyed some mother and daughter time shopping, eating lunch and today we went to visit Dr. Stanley's church in Atlanta. Bud and I are back to work tomorrow for two days and then he will head out to Texas with Destiny to visit his parents and the girls and I with my Mom are headed to the new indoor waterpark in Gatlinburg for a few days.

We hope that your Christmas was a wonderful and memorable one. BTW-Our cards are coming. I mailed them the 26th. I am so glad I went ahead and ordered Holiday cards this year instead of Christmas ones!!!

My Mom and the girls at Christmas Eve Services

New Christmas Eve Jammies, our tradition

The girls in front of the Christmas Tree

Santa's Milk and Cookies.  He ate every last one!!!!

Abby under the weather still managed to unwrap presents

Maddie 

All the girls with Grandma