When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings

When I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favorite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

Love that song. And after Christmas 2009, I have so many more memories and things to add to my favorite things list.

I know I wasn't good enough this year to deserve these beautiful gifts. But I loved each and every thing that I got and made many new memories. It was such a nice Christmas, mostly stressfree and just so enjoyable.

We did all of the traditional things that we always do, but this year we added a couple of things that I enjoyed so much. I hope they will become annual ones.

Christmas Eve morning Cam was at a friend's house where he had spent the night. Ross had to work a little while that morning. It was just Jeff and me. We decided to go to Chick-fil-A for a big breakfast. They had their breakfast buffet and it was just perfect. I ate so much for breakfast that I didn't eat anything else until I ate supper. While we were there, I had the nicest surprise. Ross called and asked what we were doing there, that he was in the parking lot. As it turned out, P-nut, Jeff's brother and Ross's boss, brought all his work crew there for breakfast. I enjoyed seeing my boy there.

On Christmas Eve before we go to my dad's family get-together, the boys, Jeff and I open gifts that we get for each other. Jeff and I put just one thing under the tree for the boys to open. And the boys buy a gift for their dad and me. Then they get a little something for each other and Jeff and I buy a few things to exchange with each other. This year we decided to open the gifts we got each other on Christmas morning instead of Christmas Eve. I liked doing it that way much more.

I love that picture of me and Jeff. I look like I'm forcing him to kiss me, don't I?

As soon as we were done, then we headed over to my church fellowship hall for the Howell Christmas with my aunts, uncles and cousins. We always do finger foods, so there was lots of good stuff to eat. Most notably, Cindy's homemade candy. Buckeye balls and Oreo truffles. Oh, my heaven. They were SO good.

We were there for a couple of hours, then off to my mom and dad's. Crystal, Suz and me got these scarves, gloves and hats from my dad. He actually did all of his own shopping this year. Thankfully. In years past he's asked me to do it for him. On Christmas Eve.

Eli's gift was the very first present I bought. After he opened it, he said that he had been wanting that toy for 84 years. HA! I'm pretty sure he liked it.

We came home from there pretty late. Then we had to force the boys to go to bed so we could make the magic that is Santa Claus.

Cam set his alarm and got up at 8 o'clock. He woke Jeff and me before he actually looked through his stuff. Just like he was a little boy. That's always been the rule. No peeking till everyone is in there. He woke Ross up. They got several things they weren't expecting, but most of it I think they were hoping they would get. Kinda helps when you make a list, huh?

We were all tired, so after the boys looked through their Santa Claus stuff and Jeff and I exchanged gifts, we all went back to bed.

When we got up, we cooked the squash casserole that I had made the day before and the rolls we had set out to rise and headed back to my mom and dad's for the best meal of the year. Christmas dinner.

My mom is the single best cook in the world. And her Christmas dinner is her best performance of the year. She made the turkey and it took these three amateur carvers to carve it.

Neither of the three of them had a clue what they were doing. Thank goodness, it doesn't matter how it's carved, it's still delicious.

I'm 44 and Santa still stops by my mom and dad's house. He brought me so many nice things. One of my favorites was a set of windchimes. But he brought me several things that will look so nice outside when it warms back up.

Then for the Christmas finale, we head to Ronnie and Nan's to exchange gifts with Jeff's family. Yet more good food. Here are a couple of pictures of me with the boys.

Ross has been quite a bit taller than Jeff for years now. Cam's just about taller. And they're both lots taller than me. But I promise, they're our boys. And their dad isn't a milkman, even though they are built nothing like Jeff. Just genes I guess.

So after an exhausting day and a good night's sleep, I decided to put away all the decorations and take down the tree. I didn't plan on doing it. I just couldn't stand knowing that I would have it to do later, so I went ahead and bit the bullet and did it all. I started around 10 this morning and I think we were finally finished around 5 this afternoon. It's just a huge job, that's for sure. I wouldn't have minded leaving them up a little longer. I wasn't tired of them at all, but my OCD got the best of me. I got so hot working and I put on a T-shirt. When I was undecorating the cedar tree in the front yard, the cedar tree's pokey things scratched me all up. I'm so short and I was leaning into the tree taking down balls, so I got little pokes on my face. It feels like a sunburn. I'm stinging like crazy. Note to self. Wear sleeves when working with greenery and don't wait till you're almost finished to get the step ladder. Other than that, there were no mishaps, no falls and best of all, no tears. Last year I almost had an emotional breakdown putting away my decorations. I get too sentimental sometimes.

Tonight we're just watching some of the bowl games. I can't believe the stupid commercials they're playing. So far I've seen an advertisement for a designer Snuggie and some kind of funky thing for trimming your cat's nails. I'm sure you can check out your local As Seen on TV store if either those sound like something you need.

Christmas 2009 was so nice. Lots of fun, food and family. Three of my favorite things.

I hope your Christmas was filled with all your favorite things so that when the dog bites or the bee stings you, you too can look back on this Christmas and not feel so bad.

Till next time.