Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve morning, the boys left early to go play golf. It is their tradition. It is their tradition to play while us ladies get everything ready for our dinner and all of that. I made a few batches of Bloody Mary's for the boys to take golfing, and a few for us ladies to sip on while we made our Christmas Eve dinner. My Mom picked up some yummy breakfast burritos, and we had ourselves a jolly good time that morning, I prepared some really good enchiladas, and the other ladies got a lot done for dinner that night, and Christmas.
After I got the girls back home and in for naps, we got all dressed up and met back up at 5:00 pm, for a church service before dinner. It was so nice. With Tim working so many Sundays, and me sometimes, it's been hard for us to get out for church, and I've been longing for that. We went to Crossroads, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. There is a feeling you get when walking into church, and I have been missing that feeling. Now, I'm craving it again. The girls did really good, Riley especially. It felt good to start our celebrating out right. It felt really good.
After church, we headed over to my Mom's for a great Mexican dinner. Usually she does her fancy dinner on Christmas Eve, and the Mexican on Christmas, but she switched it for a favorite Uncle of ours. Dinner was outstanding, and all three girls behaved themselves beautifully. Riley and Bella loved each other. Riley just wanted to hug Bella at first. She could have hugged her to death!! They were super cute, all three of them in their fancy dresses...
Some family pictures...
When dinner was over, Santa paid us a visit. He always does on Christmas Eve. He makes a special trip to our house to drop off some new PJs for everybody. Riley went crazy. I told her that Santa might come to drop off some presents and if she hears a big knock on the door, it's him. About ten minutes after I told this to Riley, we heard the big, knock, knock, knock on the door. I have never seen 3 kids more excited in my life! Riley knew more about what was going on and she kept yelling, "Santa, it's Santa!!!!!!!!" She could hardly contain herself.
Who is this guy?
We finished up our night with dessert and our $15.00 gift exchange. The girls left some cookies and milk for Santa, and some carrots for the reindeer, and us Rush's packed up one sleeping baby, and one puckered out little girl and went home to dream of sugar plums.
Something for me to remember...Riley had to make sure that we left some dip dip for the reindeer. She didn't want them to just have plain carrots, so my Mom put a little ranch on the plate for her. Funny stuff.
Christmas
Tim and I woke up the first time around 6:45 that morning, and Tim shot up out of bed and said, "Are we gonna do this or what?" I replied with a, "Yeah, MmmHmm, sure." We both laid back down for another fifteen minutes and Madi woke up. Nana and Grand Dad were anxiously awaiting the girls that morning, so I put a new disk in the video camera, and Tim, Madi and I woke Riley up to tell her that Santa had come. She was still a little sleepy but when she saw that Santa had left her some M&Ms, she was quite awake.
We headed downstairs to open stockings and two gifts from Santa. We also did gifts from Nana and Grand Dad, and then we were off to my Mom's for more presents from Santa, and us.
We got to my Mom's, sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, and then the girls had at it. Riley loved every minute of it. Every single minute of it. She gets it. She just soaked it all in. It was perfect. Last year, we bought her all of these presents, including an easel that I went to 3 different stores to try to find, and she didn't open up one. The easel sat in my Mom and Dad's garage for a year, and we gave it to her this year. She loved it. She loved everything. It was so awesome, it really was.
Oh yeah, and Madi, she did good too.
Look at these two messing around in the car on the way to my Mom's.
We ate some yummy breakfast casserole that my Mom made (you guys, it's the best casserole in the world, seriously), cinnamon rolls, rice pudding, doughnut holes, coffee, and OJ.
Went home for naps. I made some deviled eggs, and back to Grandma's house for dinner. Great day. Great holidays this year. They couldn't have been better.
I wish I could say that I'm like all of you perfect people that have the decorations all put away and my house is clean and back to normal. But, unfortunately it's not. That is what this weekend is for, for me. Yuck. It's a good thing I don't have too many things, and I already have my boxes ready.
