Christmas

This year, my parents were here for the week leading up to Christmas.  Art's sister, Elfrieda, came over on Christmas Eve, and we all celebrated Christmas together.  It was wonderfully fabulous! 

Christmas Eve, after working all. day. long.... we hustled off to a Christmas Eve service, and then back home to enjoy appetizers for dinner, our family tradition.  

I got to wear my cute new favorite dress, from Anthropologie (of course!).  One that I watched, and watched, and watched, until finally, it came on sale!  And then, 3 days after I bought it, it was an additional 30% off, so I got a price adjustment.  Really, I couldn't afford not to buy it!  And I was rewarded for patiently waiting for the sale.  Ahem.  Or at least that's how I justify it to myself...

We opened one present after that (always pajamas!), and the ladies went off to bed. After visiting for a bit, we tucked ourselves into bed and waited for Santa to come... 

In the morning, after the Girls woke us up at 8, we read the Christmas story, and started on stockings....they took a little while! (I love stockings!)

Art and I were quite surprised this year, with our Girls. While Art and I were out for our shopping date, Auntie Frieda was here with the Girls, busily helping them make us presents. They made these very cool row markers for our garden, made out of spoons. The extra special thing was that everyone wrote on a couple, so we have each of their sweet little writing on a spoon. I loved it!  

 Auntie Frieda made the Girls matching ponchos and hats for the Girls and their American Girls....they were a hit!

 After a day of playing and presents and visiting, a yummy turkey dinner was in order!

Thank goodness for leftovers...I would hate to do all that work for only 1 meal!

After dinner, we headed out to some friends who had made a skating rink on their pond, which was a lot of fun!  Christmas only comes once a year, and when it does....I love it!  Hope your Christmas was merry!