December 23 marked the start of Christmas - our party at Mom's! The whole weekend felt special because Todd and his girlfriend Amy flew in late on Friday night. We all met for lunch on Saturday, minus the kids (and Breanne who stayed home with theirs) and had a chance to meet her and see Todd. First impressions? Amy is a sweet, sweet girl, and she handles my brother well! We've talked on the phone and messaged on Facebook but nothing is the same as meeting someone face to face. We had a great lunch! By Sunday, we were all so excited to celebrate Christmas, and having her along with us didn't feel awkward at all - she was just like one of the family, even though we'd only met her 24 hours before. The kids were beyond thrilled. After nap time, they could not wait to load up and head up the hill. We had hoped for snow, but didn't get any. It didn't damper our Christmas spirit though! Load after load of food and presents and kids were hauled into the house. We ate appetizers and started opening gifts right away. The boys all "get" opening gifts now, and are so much fun to watch. They were so full of joy and appreciation for everything and they really like giving gifts to their cousins and Grandpa and Grandma too. It does get crazy, and I tend to open my gifts last when everyone else is done, because I'd rather wait and enjoy opening them than squeeze them in between a diaper change, feeding, or un-packaging of a toy. This year marked the first year with 8 grand kids age 6 and under... talk about a rousing good time! :-)
And I am usually the one to help my mom scheme up some surprises - like the "Everson Mini Storage" sweatshirts we designed and had made for the kids and adults this year, but she totally surprised me with pajamas made for the kids. It was a good thing to because I had decided not to bring any (just one more load of stuff to bring in) and about the time I was wishing we had them - bam! Out came 8 matching gift bags! So adorable. Thanks for making it truly special Mom, it was amazing!
