Christmas Eve

Christmas this year was a bit of a blur. We've been so sick lately that the build-up to the day was not what i would have liked. The important stuff got done, but the other stuff--the making of ornaments, the making of lots of treats, the extra little gifties i wanted to make for people--just didn't happen. The cheer around here wasn't as cheery as i would have liked.

I was the last one with the stomach bug before Christmas and felt much better mid-week. Christmas Eve did feel a bit rushed because we decided the day of Christmas Eve that we'd leave for Idaho on Christmas Day. Doug and i had gone back on forth on when we'd leave because of all the sickness. Originally we'd planned to leave Thursday and surprise everyone by being in Idaho for Christmas Eve (we'd told them we wouldn't get there until Monday after Christmas). I was just feeling like LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH ALREADY! (completely dreading the drive) and we decided to leave Christmas morn. I also knew Doug really wanted to get there and wanted some element of surprise, so getting there Christmas Day would fill that. So, we did our Christmas Day tradition of seeing a movie on Christmas Eve. We saw Tangled and i LOVED it. The boys, especially Bode, were a bit skeptical regarding the choice (Bode said something to the effect of "I don't want to see a stinkin' fairy-tale princess movie!"). They loved it, too!

By Christmas Eve i was feeling good. Cheese fondue for dinner. Jammies were opened as we the boys' gifts to each other. They got each other pretty much the same thing (we took them to the dollar store to choose one thing for each other)--Army vehicles and guys--and they were so excited and cute! We opened our final Christmas book ("The Night Before Christmas") and ate our final kiss. Once the kiddos were snug in their beds, I enjoyed the final wrappings and prep. I also loved that Bode, for the first time ever, chose the shortest song at bedtime ("Christmas Bells") and asked me repeatedly to turn off his light so he could fall asleep. So excited for Santa to come! (There was also a lot of rushed packing and anxiety on my part trying to get ready for a two-day drive and a week in Idaho. That part of Christmas Eve i did not enjoy.)

And Santa did come! He left a toy for each child (Lego Star Wars ships for the boys and a hammer/whacka toy for Soren) and some killer stuffed stockings. My favorite tradition by far. I ♥ stockings. The best part of Christmas if you ask me!