And just like that, Christmas is over. I hate to say it is over because I love Christmas so much, but this Christmas was absolutely wonderful!
I have been absent from most social media because we’ve been celebrating with family. Thursday we left to spend the weekend at Ryan’s parents’ house, and we didn’t get home until almost 9:00 last night. We had a blast with everyone, and we hated to leave because Ryan’s brothers and their wives were staying longer, but Ryan had to work today so we headed back. However, I will admit, it feels good to be home. Nothing is quite like home. π
Since 2013 is quickly coming to an end, I thought I would do a recap of Christmas #2 (with my family) and Christmas #3 (with Ryan’s family) in this one post. Then I will move on from Christmas, I promise. π Get ready for pictures!
Christmas #2
Ryan and I spent Christmas Eve at my parents’ house. My brother, SIL, parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin were all there. We always have ham sandwiches, chips, dips, fruit, veggies, and lots of desserts.
The grandparents and the kids.
My plate of food from the night. Turkey, lettuce, pepperjack cheese, strawberries, grapes, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, vegetable dip, and crab cakes. I snacked on other things too, but this was the only picture I took.
When everyone else left my family and I ended the night with games, and obviously making silly faces.
Thinking hard for Scrabble. We get serious about games.
My parents started a new, fun tradition where every year each couple gets a game they wanted for Christmas. Ryan and I got a rotating Scrabble board, Ben and Kaleigh got Jenga and another game I can’t remember, and my parents got a game none of us had ever played called Suspend. That game was a lot of fun too!
Of course before we went to bed we layer out cookies and milk for Santa. They were eaten the next morning.
Sorry for the blurry picture that you can barely see, but here are our stockings full from what Santa brought.
So I got some really awesome gifts that I love, but I wanted to share something with you. You know you are getting old when you get really excited about a new kitchen trash can for Christmas. But in all fairness, I had really been wanting a stainless steel trashcan, so I feel like it was a perfectly normal thing to be excited about.
I thought you might also be interested in the barbells I received from my parents! As I have mentioned before, we aren’t members at a gym yet, so all of my workouts are done at home. I have resistant bands, but it will be so nice to have these too! I plan on using them today!
After we opened gifts at my parents we all quickly got dressed and headed to my aunt and uncle’s house for breakfast with my family. It was basically all of the same people that we were with for Christmas Eve, except for this time my other cousin and her husband and two little boys were there as well. I love all of the decorations my aunt has at her house, so I had to get a picture of Ryan and I in front of her tree.
My family doesn’t have big lunches or dinners for Christmas, but we do have a big breakfast, and I love it! After I ate this plate above, I went back for another biscuit with sausage gravy and about 1/4 of another cinnamon roll. I know it was a lot, but I get this breakfast once a year so I enjoy it!
My little cousin, Cooper, got a bow and arrow for Christmas, and to be honest, we all enjoyed shooting it a little. π Unfortunately, I’m no Katniss.
My other little cousin, Cade, got a bike, so we watched him ride around in it for a while.
We went back home about 11:00 in the morning and just relaxed for the rest of the day. We did go outside and play with this cool frisbee disc each couple got from Santa in the afternoon, which was a lot of fun. Ryan and I left a little after 7 that night to head home and get ready to leave the next day for his parents’ house.
End of Christmas #2.
Christmas #3
I drove Ryan to work Thursday morning so that I could pick him up Thursday afternoon and we could leave straight from there to make the road trip to his parents’ house. We left about 3:20 and got to their house about 8:30-9:00.
These pictures that look horrible because of bad lighting, the car moving, and the fact that you can’t really tell what everything is, is the food I packed for the road for me to eat. I had one slice of leftover homemade sweet potato pizzaΒ that we had Monday night, and then a bunch of random veggies that I threw in some tupperware and later put balsamic vinaigrette dressing on. Ryan enjoyed two slices of leftover pizza with some Cheetos he got in his stocking Monday.Β It was getting dark so the pictures aren’t the best. But I am all for packing food on the road because it saves you money, time, and it is so much healthier since you can control what you eat and what is put into your food.
It was so nice when we finally arrived at their house. Their tree was absolutely beautiful!
Sadly, I didn’t get as many pictures here. π¦ Ryan’s brothers and their wives and kids didn’t show up until Saturday night, so we got to enjoy Ryan’s parents to ourselves for Friday and most of the day Saturday before everyone else came. The house was full by Saturday when everyone got there, and after enjoying dinner together we started opening gifts! After all of the gifts were opened we got to look in our stockings, which is always so fun! The only picture I snapped was Ryan and his two brothers looking in their stockings. Ryan is looking through some binoculars they all got; he really liked them!
One of the gifts I got was an Anne Taylor Loft gift card, and I’m so excited because I need to build up my teacher wardrobe.
We all went to church on Sunday and then snapped this picture of us all. Gotta love self timers on cameras. π
We had lunch with everyone, and then sadly Ryan and I had to pack up and leave to make the drive back home. We knew Ryan had work the next day so we didn’t need to get home too late. It was a short trip to my in-laws’ house, but it was so special and fun.
End of Christmas #3.Β
In case you can’t tell, our first Christmas was absolutely amazing! We were surrounded by so much family and love, and so many memories were made. I am so thankful and blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people who I love very much!
Questions:
1. When did your Christmas celebrations end?
2. Favorite Christmas tradition?
3. Any new Christmas traditions you want to start?
4. What did you do this weekend?