The Yay Christmas! post

So really, Christmas was awesome.

We started out on Christmas Eve, by which time we had EVERYTHING done for Christmas. Purchasing, wrapping, grocery shopping. There was nothing that NEEDED doing, which was certainly nice. The kids and I met a very old friend of mine from elementary school (long-standing friend - not an OLD friend; she's the same age as me and I'M NOT OLD! ) ... I digress. We met up with Sarah and her husband and adorable son Brady.

We didn't have a ton of time together but it was awesome to catch up in person for the first time in probably 15 years and have the boys play together. And next time I see her there will be an addition to her adorable family! I should have taken a picture of the bump! Too bad there aren't any girls in the group - no one to follow in their mothers' Brownie footsteps (okay, not too sad; I wasn't on the Brownie bandwagon so much and quit as soon as I was allowed). We later had our neighbors over for cheese fondue. I made the dip and supplied the bread, and Mrs. Neighbor supplied fruit and veggies. It was delicious and fun and laid back - everything I wanted it to be.

After dark we headed out, Starbucks in hand (coffee for us, junior hot cocoa for the little one), in search of Christmas lights and WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. What is up with the luminaries this year? They are BEAUTIFUL! Spencer was done after two hours but we had great luck finding beautiful lights until then, and then we headed home so Santa could come and go and we could get some sleep.

Christmas came and went, was successful and fun and not nearly as stressful as it has been in past years. The grandparents all came over, all eleven of us had sit-down breakfast of biscuits and gravy and pastry and bacon and breakfast casserole and then the present opening began! It was all a-flurry but the kids were very happy with their loot as were mommy and daddy.

I brought these sprouts to Christmas dinner at my in-laws' house and they were delicious. Delicious. I did burn the heck out of my arm in making said sprouts, but I'd venture to say they were worth it. We had much much much more food and many many many more presents and went home exhausted and happy.

And then this happened.

But I'll choose, in the future, to remember this instead: