A Quick Summary of the Holiday

It's been so long since I've posted that I almost don't remember how to! Nah!! It's coming back to me, slowly!! First, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a pretty calm Christmas which is always good. We had ice on our roads on Tuesday the 23rd and that drastically reduced the amount of "last minute" shopping I could do. There was only one thing I needed to pick up, but Wal-Mart had it and all was good!

We had Joe's family for Christmas on the 20th. We always enjoy having them cause there are lots of kids and everyone is loud and playing and visiting and it is all good. Jake is getting older and likes to play with his big brothers. Of course, his brothers have kids Jake's age, so they kinda know what he likes! Football for one.

Here is a picture of them playing a new game that their Mamaw Mary (Joe's Mom) gave Jake.

David, Jake, Brandon

And here is Ashlynn, our neice's daughter.

We had big plans to eat at Ryan's for supper on Christmas Eve and then come back to Gran and Papa's to open gifts, but after calling to make sure they were open, found out that we didn't have time to get there before they closed!! BUMMER! So we opted for Mexican food at El Parian instead. I think we might have started a new tradition. The food is always good there and ITS FAST...just what the kids (and secretly, the adults) wanted!!

We opened our presents when we got back and I think everyone was pretty satisfied with their loot.

Jake got a lot of "Georgia Football" stuff for Christmas....no we don't have one single connection to Georgia, I don't even think we know one soul from Georgia, but that is the team he calls "MY TEAM"

Here is Anna, opening her "Happy Heart" perfume!

I was extra excited...Joe gave me a housekeeping service twice a month!!! I am loving that man!! He knows me pretty well. I got some china from my mom and dad.

It is Woodlands from Spode and I love it.

Papa watching Jake opening presents


Gran opening presents

They had already given me 4 plates last year for Christmas and they gave me 4 for Christmas this year. I got candles, perfume, a griddle, $100 gift certificate to the scrapbook store (YEA!!) and a bunch more stuff.

The kids still love to make reindeer food for Rudolf and the gang...caught a picture of them in the middle of it all.

Anna and Jake got up at 5 or 5:30 Christmas morning!! I think I had just laid my head down on that soft, cool pillow when I heard footsteps on the stairs!!! I couldn't believe it. Of course, Joe and I pulled ourselves out of bed, made a pot of coffee, and took part in the festivities! After we oohhed and aahhed over everything we headed back to bed to finish out what we had started. I believe we got up around 9. Then we really enjoyed looking at things with MUCH clearer eyes!

This was Jake's loot.

And here is Anna's.

Mom and I had decided weeks ago that we weren't going to fix a big dinnner on Christmas day, it was our day off from cooking, no washing dishes, no hot, dirty kitchen, no stress, NOTHING....then we decided that THAT was exactly what we liked about Christmas...we love being in the kitchen and getting all fussy over getting it all ready...so we had a wonderful Christmas dinner complete with Turkey and Dressing, Greenbean Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, Cranberry Relish, and on and on!!! By the way, I found a recipe for a Cracker Barrel's Hashbrown Casserole on the internet sometime ago and it is pretty good I have to say. Here is the recipe if you are interested...it is so easy (Even you could make it B.C.!)

Hashbrown Casserole
2 lbs frozen, shredded hashbrowns
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces Colby cheese, grated
I have made this twice and have decided it needs about 3/4 cup of milk also

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam. Combine soup, margarine, salt, pepper, onion, and cheese. Gently mix in potatoes ( I thaw these out in the microwave a little first) and milk. Pour into prepared dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Not much else going on here. Joe has been on call since the 24th and FINALLY got off call today! He has had a couple of really sick people in the hospital over the holidays.

Well, Anna has some girls coming for a sleepover tonight...I think they are going to see Marley and Me. Jake has basketball practice tonight, so we're getting back to normal. If only I could find a way to get this tree undecorated and upstairs while I read a few blogs on the computer...oh well....

Bye for now!