This really was one of the best Christmases we've had. I'm not really sure what made it so special, but we all really enjoyed it. We spent Christmas Eve at my dad's, as usual. My brother and his girlfriend, Michelle, came over and we had what has become a traditional Christmas breakfast of french toast casserole, eggs, sausage, and bacon with o.j. Then we opened stockings and gifts with the kids. They were very excited to get Leap Frog Tags. I got a diaper bag and Kris is still waiting on his gift, which is still in the works...
Afterward, Kris and I took the kids to the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. We saw 100s of manatees, fish, stingrays, and even a couple of baby black tip sharks. Then we drove to Brandon and had a late lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (my favorite).
This year's Christmas Eve family Christmas was hosted by my dad and Suzanne. All of my aunts and uncles bring their traditional dishes, including several Indonesian dishes. Then we sing carols from a program designed by my Opa over 30 years ago. We always sing "Silent Night" last by candlelight and sing the last verse in Dutch. Then we say the Lord's Prayer. Afterward we have a gag gift exchange which is always a blast. We're always trying to find the gift with the $5 bill. This year, I stole it from my brother and took it home (honestly, who's gonna steal 5 bucks from a pregnant lady?)
On Christmas morning, we woke up, got dressed, and got the car packed. Then, as always, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus with a cake and 3 candles (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
After a couple of pieces of cake (hey, it was our breakfast), we drove back to Gainesville to make Christmas dinner. I made a roast with potatoes, onions, and carrots in the crockpot. We unloaded the car and unpacked as much as possible. Then Nana & Grandpa arrived, followed shortly by Nini. Our plan was to eat at 4ish and then open gifts before heading out to look at Christmas lights, but right before we were about to sit down for dinner, Tristan pulled out a giant pencil sharpener that he had received the day before from Opa & Grand and sharpened his finger. It was a huge bloody mess. Poor thing. He cut it good and I know it hurt so bad. He soaked through 2 paper towels with blood and my mom's hand was completely covered too. We gave him Motrin and kept pressure on it trying to get it to stop bleeding. We called Peds After Hours, but they didn't really offer much help other than what we were already doing. We finally calmed him down with an orange popsicle and were able to wrap the finger with gauze and tape, which also quickly filled with blood. We had to change it 30 minutes later and he was still bleeding. After about an hour and 2 orange popsicles, he was calm and it didn't seem to bother him as much. We had a great dinner, my roast with mashed potatoes, green beans, strawberry spinach salad, and yummy rolls. Afterward, we opened gifts. The kids were soooooo excited! Beside the minor trauma, it was a great day. We tucked the kids in bed after a bath around 9 and ate pie while talking about the day. Makes me excited for next year when Camden is here to enjoy.
This weekend we will celebrate Christmas with the Graves side of the family. I love having a big family! Christmas just lasts and lasts!
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