Christmas memories

I figured I'd better blog about Christmas before it's March....

I want to apologize in advance for the cruddy pictures I'm about to post. See, I just bought a new camera (a Canon T1i), and it literally came in the mail a day or two before Christmas. But, I wasn't entirely used to it, and let's just say almost all my pictures I took this night and weekend weren't great. They were horrible. But, they're still pictures, and I'm still posting them for family to see that we indeed celebrate Christmas and had a great time. :)

{see little Roxie just staring at that bowl of chocolate pudding?

I also have no clue why Katie has her necklace in her mouth while she's eating pudding}

My mother & father in law came down to Texas for Christmas with us. We enjoyed a traditional Mexican dinner for Christmas Eve. After dinner we played Mexican Train Dominoes (it just happened to be Mexican Train, we don't do all things Mexican on Christmas Eve). For dessert, we had our traditional "nut in the pudding" game (which coincidentally hails from Europe, so we're making our rounds around the world on Christms Eve). Katie won the prize (a $10 gift card to Target) for finding the nut in her pudding. Sadly, she didn't finish her yummy chocolate pudding. That stinker.

I had made cinnamon rolls, and was trying a new recipe -- Alton Brown's Cinnamon Rolls. I had read a long time ago my online friend Melisa made them, and just said they were so easy and fabulous... and I'm tired of scalding milk to make my cinnamon rolls. So, I made them... and this recipe was just THE easiest and most yummiest cinnamon rolls I've ever made. Make them. I double dog dare you. So, the recipe called for me to put them in the fridge overnight, and let them rise in the oven w/ boiling water under it for 30 minutes. No problem... it was easy peezy.

Sadly, I was the first one up in the morning. What is up with that?! I'm always the first one up! Katie is usually my late sleeper, but she was up almost immediately. After an hour, the rest of the family started slowly moving as slow as slugs and we commenced "Operation Make a Mess" (y'know, make a mess after you open the gifts, and presents are EVERYWHERE? and doesn't get put up for days afterwards? Yeah, that mess....)

Katie got an iTouch.... which was the only thing she wanted. I knew she would look for a small package, so I tricked her and packaged it up in a large box. She had no clue. Look at her expression.

Sadly, I didn't get a picture of Maddie opening anything. Oh well, last year I got more pictures of her than I did of Katie.

Mike got a new grill for Christmas (he got it a few weeks ago), but Maddie surprised him with a new hat that he wanted, and I got him some Classic Country CD's.... he grew up listening to classic country songs b/c while he was in the tractor, there was only two stations to listen to, and that was one of them. He loved it... he also got a new dress shirt, two ties, new socks... and a gift card for buckets of golf.

Maddie didn't really ask for much this year. Squishy Squashies, as she calls them... or otherwise knows as Squinkies. Japanese erasers. I guess those are THE item to have now and trade. She also was DYING for Just Dance II for the Wii. She got it, and we all enjoyed dancing to it.

We laughed the hardest watching Papa Nelson dance. He's quite the dancer.... I think I burned as many calories laughing as I did dancing.

My big surprise? I got 3/4 carat square cut diamond earrings! I refuse to post the picture Mike took of me (translation: bedhead hair... no makeup... unflattering pajamas.... and a scarf that Katie knit for me around my neck == NO PICTURE!!). But, it was a beautiful surprise, and I haven't taken them out of my ears yet. Actually, I can't get them out of my ears.... it's too hard to get the backs off! Pictures will come soon for that... :) I will tell you now that from now on, I will be dressed and in makeup with my hair done for Christmas morning.

That afternoon we enjoyed a movie at the theatre (Tron)... and feasted upon strip steaks and mashed pototoes and a delicious salad. Pumpkin pie and frozen chocolate mousse pie sealed the deal. Then we happily watched Thoroughly Modern Millie several times that day, and danced our butts off.