Christmas 2010

Christmas seemed to come fast this year. And now it's gone. Seems weird. One reason it was particularly nice was because of the days Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fell on. I am enjoying a 4-day weekend from the library job and a 3-day weekend (which is now wrapping up) from the funeral home. I house-sat for Bob Friday and Saturday nights. He and his wife gave me a gift card to Target. Ben, Michele, Tony, and Royce came by on Friday for us to exchange gifts. They got me this really cool gardening book, which I am sure I will be referring to often in the upcoming year! I also made the beginnings of cinnamon rolls that have to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Saturday morning I woke up around 8 and got dressed and ready for the day. I pulled out the cinnamon rolls and the glaze and headed to Lea's house. They had invited me over to exchange gifts and eat breakfast and I offered to bring homemade cinnamon rolls. So Lea got me a hair crimper for the next time I rock the 80s. And her whole family got me a travel-crock pot! It's nice and big (6 quarts) and it has a sealed locking lid with big side handles so that you won't spill soup on your car!!! (I did that once on a Monday Meal night...)

I got her family and also Dan each a place setting. Again inspired by Marvelous Monday Meals. Lea has always said the pictures in the facebook album all have her old chipped plates. So I got new plates for everyone (including myself). They thought this was a really cool gift. So that was neat.

We enjoyed hot-out-of-the-oven, homemade cinnamon rolls on our new plates.

And then we watched about 3 or 4 episodes of the new season of Glee. I was a little behind because of the fact I had to wait for it to come from the hold list at the library.

I opened all my packages and stuff I've been saving for Christmas. Sue (I work with her at the funeral home and walk with her as well) got me nifty mittens/gloves. They are really cool, because you slide them on as fingerless gloves and then there's this "pocket" thing you turn over onto your fingers so it's more like a mitten. Very cool. April sent 2 boxes of Jelly Bellys. One with the possibility of getting either the normal flavor or a look-alike that is actually gross. Like buttered popcorn/rotten egg; chocolate pudding/pencil shavings; or strawberry jam/centipede. I got enough gross ones to last me tonight, so I stopped eating those ;). The other has 5 specialty mixes like all berry; soda shoppe; Coldstone Creamery; Smoothie Blend; and Citrus mix. I really like the berry ones. I love Jelly Bellys as a whole though :). She also sent this awesomely 80s book that looks like a trapper keeper (it opens up like one) and has articles (witty funny ones) about all these 80s toys and cool stuff. Think He-Man; She-Ra; Pogo Balls; Garbage Pail Kids... I don't know where she finds all this 80s stuff she sends, but it's awesome! And from Julie, I got a "Peas in a Pod" box for memories. And the box itself is a memory! Since she and I used to refer to ourselves as two little peas in a pod (the grey, slightly misshapen ones ;)). She also sent a cookbook, and two "fru-fru" things for when I have my own place. (She has to be my interior decorator, because I have a huge hole where that gene is supposed to be....). One is a framed picture of The Lord's Prayer and the other is a 3-candle holder with a scripture verse on it. Very pretty and I think they will match whatever style I manage to have ;). And I'll put vanilla candles in those holders, Julie ;). You did give me permission in the card :). So yeah, some very awesome gifts!

Then it was time for family Christmas. We opted to do finger foods. But I think we still went overkill. Here's our spread. We had pigs in a blanket, cheese olivettes, empanditas, spinach dip with veggies, cheese spreads with crackers, chocolate chip pumpkin bread, oreo truffles, red velvet truffles, puppy chow, pigeon poop, almond roca, and cinnamon gingerbread muffins. I was going to make the bacon cheese mini appetizers, but I think we had plenty of food even without them. Those will be made another day, since the filling is all mixed and the dough is bought...

Here are Brad, Tarylyn, Saria, and Benjamin eating.

Then it was present time. I didn't end up getting a good shot of Samuel that wasn't sideways (and therefore requiring more work to upload here since I'd have to put it on my computer and flip it, so I just included him in a group one). Here is Emily with the Sing-a-Majig I got her. Those things are asesome.

Christina and Nick. I got Christina a book. She likes the murder mystery types, and I read this one years ago, so thought I'd buy it for her and hopefully she will like it. She reads really fast, so if nothing else, it's something for her to try.

Here is Desiree with all the flower clips Aunt Tarylyn made for her and Emily. She is such a pretty little girl.

And here are 4 of the 5 kids watching presents get opened. I think this was Saria with her Justin Bieber bear with money stuffed in it (by my mom). Which, now that I've thought about it, that's kind of funny. I will have to ask my mom if the bear stripped for her ;). If I spelled his name right. She's "in love" with Justin Bieber (Saria is, not my mom).

Benjamin (and Samuel) got nerf guns.

Saria (and Desiree) got these pink educational laptops. So did the boys (only they were blue) and Emily got one too for her age.

I got new scriptures and a tote for them, pajamas, and a box of chocolates, and goodies made by Tarylyn. After we were done with Christmas and cleaning up, I went back to Bob's and chilled and enjoyed control of the tv remote. The cats don't seem to mind ;). So we watched Scrooged.

And because I think I love this version of the song by the Glee cast (probably means more if you have seen the episode), listen here to I Want To Hold Your Hand.