A Very Merry Christmas 2010

We had a very merry Christmas this year. The whole family gathered at our house, minus Dad (Geegaw) who unfortunately had to work. I say unfortunately, but I guess he's fortunate to have a job with the way this year has gone for many. As the new year nears, I think it's important to be grateful for all that we have.

We enjoyed each other's company and had some drinks. (Some a little more and some a little less than others)

Fried turkey was on the menu for the first time and despite a rainy day, the guys made us proud.

The consensus: We will never bake another turkey! Although it was a little scary looking, it was absolutely delicious!

Once our bellies were full, it was time to exchange gifts. In our family, the adults draw names. I specify adults because Hana is the only child and it seems everyone draws her name every year. LOL! I guess everyone in this family gets a lot more out of giving than receiving. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful feeling to open a present that someone handpicked just for you. But it's incredibly rewarding to see others' reactions as you watch them open a gift you handpicked just for them. I know I got a lot of joy watching Joe open this shirt I made just for him.
(Pay no mind to the strange woman wearing the large panties on the outside of her clothes at the beginning of that video.)

Joe got just what he asked for. A tuxedo shirt. Actually he got two so we decided to wear them as his and hers. I mean, what's better than a tuxedo t-shirt? It's formal, but it says "I'm here to have a good time."

The joy of my Christmas is watching Hana.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful family.

Lots of awesome gifts were given and received.

Nana totally outdid herself. She got Hana Grace a...

SCOOTER!

It was the best gift this year!

Santa even stopped by! Hana was not too sure about him at first.

She never really warmed up to him, even though he handed out gifts.

She told me later than she was "embarrassed, but there wasn't really anything for her to be embarrassed about. Santa's a good guy." Her words, not mine. He assured her he would be back later to drop off the rest of the presents since she had been such a good little girl, so just before bed time we sprinkled reindeer food on the front lawn and sat out milk and cookies for Santa. We were certain Santa and his reindeer would need a pick-me-up snack before continuing on their journey.

Just about everyone stayed the night. Hopefully that is a new tradition for us. There's nothing better, in my opinion, than hanging out on Christmas Eve, staying up late and waking up to the joy of Christmas morning together.

Santa brought lots of gifts. Granted it was only a fraction of what was opened the night before. I don't know if anyone got a picture of what the tree looked like on Christmas Eve. It was ridiculous! They took over the entire front room!

Santa even delivered gifts from friends all over. There were gifts from Tinkerbell, Dora, Minnie Mouse and our friends Dawn and Azaria!

It took Hana no time to become a pro at riding her scooter.

Here's to another wonderful Christmas we'll never forget!