Christmas 2012

Wow, I cannot believe that Christmas has come and gone so fast. I feel like each year it just keeps going faster. This year we spent our first Christmas together as a married couple. It was a lot of fun and we made a lot of fun memories. I am looking forward to each Christmas we spend together and what fun times lay a head.

For us, Christmas starts early. We celebrate first with B's family on an earlier date other than the actual day of christmas. This year we started on the 23rd. We went over and exchanged gifts and had a great dinner and spent time with family.

The 24th we always go over to my aunt and uncle's house to celebrate Christmas Eve with my cousins, uncles, aunts, and my cousins kids. This year we went and had lunch which has been the same thing every SINGLE year. We have ham, salad, grits, and rolls. I am not a huge ham fan.... Then, we watched my cousins children open the gifts that came from the aunts and uncles, which are now great- aunts and great- uncles. We have done this as far as I can remember. When I was little and even up into college everyone would exchange gifts including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Then, a few years back we decided to only get gifts for the kids. I have a cousin who is just 10, and is around the same age as her second cousins. So, I think that is why we have kept doing this. Also, it is just fun to keep it going for another generation.

After lunch, B and I went home and got ready for church. What we did not expect was the worlds longest line to get into church. We were towards the end. Made it in and ended up going into over-flow where we could not even see the screen. In fact, there were so many people they had to bring out more chairs. It was crazy. So, I think the service was good since I could kind of hear it and sorta not really hear it. But, it was cool seeing everyone's candles lit during the last Christmas Carols.

Then, we went home. Last year we decided that we would do our own thing Christmas Eve. So, we went out to dinner, just the two of us. It was a lot of fun. Then, came home and watched a really old version of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. It was in black and white. But fun to see.

We woke up Christmas morning and decided to make Christmas cookies. I had gotten sugar cookie mix and cookie cutters. We ran out of time the day before, so that morning we made them together. After they came out of the oven they lost their shapes somehow while cooking, and all looked like blobs. So we decorated our blobs and enjoyed a few for breakfast. After that we exchanged our own gifts. This was fun. The rest of the day we just hung out.

The afternoon of the 25th we made it over to my parents house to exchange gifts and have Christmas dinner. This was the first time in 32 years that my Mom got to sleep in because we did not have a lunch or do gifts in the morning. I think we will do it again next year? Guess we will see.

Everyone loved their gifts. Growing up we would always start with the stockings first. Which, my Mom had to explain to Chase's girlfriend who kept handing out gifts before we did that. So, then after we did that we could open gifts. It was so much fun to spend time with everyone. After this we had dinner. I had made a home made pumpkin pie for desert with a gram-cracker crust. It was good. My brother Bill left shortly after dinner with his dog Bentley. Then, we all watched a movie and B and I left about half way through it to head back home.

All and all it was a great first married christmas and I look forward to many more to come.