"Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night..."

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful day!  While this year's Christmas was certainly not perfect, and not the most fun, I still managed to remember what makes this day so special and all the reasons why I know my dad was looking down on us smiling, knowing that we were trying to find laughter through our tears.

I ended my previous post with prepping for my mom's birthday dinner.  We grilled filet mignons with a special peppercorn sauce, roasted diced tri-color baby potatoes, and Caesar salad.  I must say, Hubs grilled the steaks to perfection.  The potatoes were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft inside.  The angel food cake and icing I made from scratch (both family recipies) turned our fluffy and moist.  We sat around the table laughing and telling stories of Christmases past.

After my mom and brothers left, Hubs and I got dressed for Midnight Mass.  I wore the same dress from last year, when Hubs was deployed.  It was a little snug this time around, but still fit.  I even managed to teeter along on six-inch heels.  We arrived at church in plenty of time to find a parking place close-by and good seats.  The church was gorgeous and the music before Mass was amazing.  During Mass, I was a little dizzy, so we hurried home afterwords and I crashed into bed.

Christmas morning, I woke up, finished some last minute wrapping, folded a load of laundry, gathered our gifts in my laundry basket and oversized shopping bags, ate a quick snack, and tidied up a bit.  We arrived at my mom's house just as Hubs' parents were arriving!  They drove in from Kentucky on Christmas Eve and we hadn't seen them since they got into town because of Mass.  Big Brother was picking Nana up from her apartment, and as soon as they arrived we gathered around the Christmas tree to open stockings.  

Little Brother

Big Brother

Mama

My in-laws

Nana

This year, Mom and I made new stockings for Hubs and me.  They are made from the Scotish and Irish plaids for our respective families (both of which happen to be red and green patterns).  The cuff portion of the stocking is cream flannel, and we sewed a gold fringe on the edge of that, to compliment the gold thread we used to embroider our names on top.  They turned out beautifully and I'm so thrilled!  We also made some for my in-laws, with the cream flannel as the body and plaid as the cuff.  

After stockings, we had breakfast, and then opened all the under-the-tree gifts.  By 1:00 we were finished, Nana was ready for a nap, and I needed to leave and prep for the next event!  Hubs and I packed all our gifts (good thing for that laundry basket) back into the car and I came home to start prepping Christmas dinner!  

Little Brother

Big Brother

Hubs

Mama

Nana

By 5:00, the table was set with my wedding china and crystal (I was so excited to be hosting my first family holiday meal!), Mom and my brothers were back at my house, and Hubs was setting up the PS3 for the boys to watch a movie while Mom and I cooked.  A few minutes later, my in-laws arrived and everyone piled into the kitchen.  I told Hubs I really needed my space so he needed to move everyone into the family room so I could work.  When everything was ready and I could sit to breath, dinner was served and it was so tasty, if I do say so myself!  The cheesecake my mom made was fabulous, and I think everyone had a good time. As we finished dinner, and everyone started to leave, it started to snow!  It was sad to say goodbye to family, but it was such a wonderful feeling to share a magical day with those you love the most!

Us with Hubs's parents at Mom's house

Us at our house after dinner

Sad as I am that Dad wasn't here, I know he was in spirit, and I can't wait for next year when I'll get to see the magic of Christmas through my first child's eyes!  And now, I'm comfy on the couch, snowed in with a blazing fire, and watching The Polar Express!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as well!