Christmas Day 2009

     I had looked forward to Christmas Day since everyone was coming to my house for dinner. My sister and I switched this year, she did Thanksgiving and I was to do Christmas. I was expecting 9 people for dinner. My parents, my brother with his family and my sister with her husband would join my b/f and I for dinner.

     However, we woke up Christmas morning to find several inches of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing. The driveways were deep, the wind had been blowing as well and there were drifts 3 feet deep. How were we ever going to have company in this mess?

     In anticipation that the roads would be cleared, we began cleaning the house from top to bottom. Working very hard to make sure everything was in its place.

     I had a 20 lb turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes ready to make. My Mom was bringing cranberry salad, best-ever jello salad and pies. My sister was making the bread to have with dinner and my sister-in-law had the veggie tray. It was going to be a great dinner.

    Mom said they had drifts up to the tires on my brothers car and the plows had not been down their street yet. Even though Dad said there was nothing that could keep him from a freshly roasted turkey, I had a feeling that the snow would keep everyone away.

    Sure enough, with snow too deep to shovel and no clear roads to travel, everyone stayed home for Christmas Day. Just the 2 of us ate dinner... without the extra things everyone else had. I sure missed not having salads or the pies... 

    It ended up a quiet day, just watching the snow pile up. I don't remember having a Christmas Day before where no one could get to their destination.

Christmas Eve Dec 24, 2009

     Once we had families of our own, Christmas Eve has been celebrated at my Mom & Dad’s house. We have an awesome dinner prepared by my Mom and we each bring something to add to the dinner. Mom has always mades BBQ Brisket and Cheesy Potatoes. Our tradition of the same, delicious menu every year. We usually arrive around 5, eat dinner with my Aunt & Uncle and their daughter (who now has a husband and the cutest baby bump). Then after they leave, we open start getting all the presents out from all the hiding places.

     But this year, tradition was thrown out the window! We had a winter storm coming that was promising to mess things up. We were expecting sleet or freezing rain before it would change to all snow.
     The sleet began early in the day. By 10 AM it was already a mess. Roads were getting slick and hazardous. Mom’s first email said “Let’s start at 4” then it became “Let’s start at 3:30” At 2:30 Mom called “Your sister made it here, so come on over and we’ll open gifts first and then eat later” So we loaded up in the vehicles and headed over.

    We rushed to Mom’s, which is not easy with children and grandchild in tow. The roads were getting icy and took a little time to get the 3 miles. When we arrived I realized I had forgotten the Poinsettia I bought my Mom (I will just have to give it to her Christmas day when they come to my house for dinner).

    The gifts were already under the tree screaming “OPEN ME!!” The gifts were opened in a rush as always. The kids, even though grown, were still ripping through the paper to get to the gift hidden inside. The smiles on their faces reminded me of when they were little.. they may think they are grown ups but the look on their faces said otherwise.
    Now we had to make Mom’s house as clean as it was when we arrived. Mom’s brother and his family were coming for dinner at 5:30. We gathered all the wrappings and boxes and put them away. The weather outside was getting worse, but the family arrived right on time. We ate our wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, visited with everyone, including our phone call from England that we get every year. (always good to hear from her).

    My boys still needed to drive another 60 miles south of here to see their Dad and his family. We left early so they could get on the road before it got even worse. I worried about them being on the roads, but I knew if they didn’t go now, they’d never get there. Thank heavens for cell phones… I was able to keep tabs on their way and was glad when they arrived safely.

    What a night this was… it will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings, but we are definitely having a white Christmas this year.

December 5th - Christmas Count Down

Only 20 days till Christmas... there is SO much to do. I've listed the top 25 on my "To Do List" .. I'm sure there are more things to do, and some will be done more than once (like #20). Time for me to get "really" busy and get some of these items checked off.

Dec 4 - My Christmas is Perfect

Christmas time brings the need to be "perfect" out in all of us. Buying the perfect gift, displaying decorations perfectly and the children are on their best behavior (some times).  For me, the perfect Christmas is one filled with family get togethers. The one time of the year almost all my family is together under one roof. From my parents, siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There is usually 1 or 2 missing, but they call during Christmas Eve dinner to join in the fun. 

Every Christmas is Perfect with my family!

Christmas Cards.... Dec 3rd

 I made special little notes for each of my sons today. Handwritten and waiting for them to read some other time when they need to remember how Mom felt about them.