Christmas Happiness

Awesome Christmas.  That’s how I can sum it up in two words.  Or just one.

Awesome.

It’s not often you get my entire family in one spot for a serious amount of time, since I’m usually half way across the continent, my brothers are on another or at school, my parents are at work, and the dogs are fast asleep.  Yes, the dogs are most definitely part of the family.  I mean, how could you not include this pretty face?!

 

I have pictures of my brothers and I in front of the Christmas tree, that came out blurry with my very old almost 4 year old point and shoot digital camera…

But that wouldn’t last for long.

In our family, the first thing we do on Christmas Morning is dig into our stockings (that my Mom made by hand a very long time ago…I’ll never get rid of this baby!)

check out the fun goodies:

• My favorite Australian Cookies: Dark Chocolate TimTams
• Birdie Post-its (great for Operation Beautiful Notes!)
• Food/Snacks
• Hygiene Stuff
• Footie Slippers (good for my feet with their horrible circulation)

And digging everything out always ends with my brothers inhaling their ding dongs or moon pies.

 

Ya know, family traditions.

Of course, the biggest excitement of my morning came when I opened this:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  I GOT A NEW CAMERA!!!

I’ve been eyeing this one for a while, as I was asking questions about it during the summer…so excited to use all the different features and things…and actually start getting some in focus and better quality pictures (mind you, my digi still works and I love it to bits…)

I was also excited to receive this, since I’ve been making my other ipod arm band look super ghetto with the newest generation, when it’s made for the one before that.

But I think the best part of the morning was when my dad opened “the big box” and found this:

GNOME!

 

Which he automatically put out in his garden, hiding like a gnome does:

And with the flamingos.  Yes, flamingos.  No, they won’t be staying out in the front yard much longer…

 

Oh man…my family cracks me up.

I went for a run w/ my brothers in the evening for a relaxing three miles before I got started on helping with dinner, and then famished, finally got to eat!

I had a few snacks before hand including some of the M&M’s, the pretzel rods, an unpictured Vegan Energy Bar and blackberries. 

My brothers and I never really ate lunch, and I never really ate breakfast now that I think about it…apple and two clementines?  Oh yeah, there was an Arnold’s Thin w/ PB and Cranberry Apple Butter.  But that was it.

Then there was Dad killing carving the already dead turkey:

Our Christmas Spread!

Dark and White Turkey

Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower and Mushrooms

And some White Japanese Rice and Long Grain/Pilaf Rice

I was too lazy to make a real vegetarian dish, so I had some spaghetti squash I had in the fridge with marinara and a whole boat load of roasted veggies.  They were soooo good.

We also had a few friends over to enjoy the festivities with us: Eric, his girlfriend, Craig and Sal.

Then it was dessert time!  We had so much stuff to pick from:

Including a Yule Log Eric’s Girlfriend brought:

Grandma’s Homemade Apple Pie

An array of Christmas Cookies

 

I started off with this, and actually ate only the apple insides of the pie…I’m a sucker for just that part; I don’t need the crust!

And then went back for these:

I loveeee my whipper snappers.

~~

All in all it was a great Christmas!  Makes me sad to know I’m going to be leaving in EIGHT DAYS to move back to FLORIDA FOR WORK!!!  But that of course is after the three day trip I have to ARIZONA for CHRISTMAS #3 with my Mom’s side of the family on Monday, and meeting up with JENN on Tuesday. :)

This is going to be wild.