A Little Fruit Cake to Digest

Okay, so Christmas rocks. What more can I say? It really is my favorite time of year, and the time of year when some of the best memories are made. Here are my favorite Christmas memories of 2007.

Christmas Dinner

My mom's cooking rocks. Seriously. You can't get anything better than a home-cooked meal. We made sure that for at least one day, all of us got to sit together. Usually, the kids sit at the kitchen counter and the adults sit around the table. But, they feel left out! So, I was the best favorite auntie ever and stood up for the little guys, insisting that we rearrange until they would all fit around the table. Their joy at being a part of it all was great.

Christmas Eve Nativity Scene

This is a tradition at our house, as is the chaos that accompanies it. The characters can include goose herders, one lone sheep who never really listens to the shepherds and would rather sleep on the couch, an angel who forgets her lines and is prompted by the audience, and four wise-men instead of the typical three. While the basic story stays the same, every year, it's a little bit different, and therefore, one of my favorite memories every year. There was the year when Daniel wanted to play the star. So, he did. Then, there was the time that Sarah was the angel and shed glittery stuff all over the place. The year one of the kids decided to herd my mom's stuffed goose has started a new tradition. And this year, Sage forgot her lines. Of course, the best part of it all is when my dad says the manger was crowded. None of us can hear the nativity story in the bible without adding this line at the end of the verse!

Christmas Music

My brother Jon brought his guitar and we all sang Christmas songs after our nativity scene. I love singing with my family. Maybe that's one reason I love Christmas time so much. It's really the only time we can all get together and just have an old-fashioned Barney style jam fest. After the guitar stuff, Jon got out the new trumpet Jody got him for Christmas. It's been a long time since he's had a trumpet, and honestly, he rocks as a trumpet player. I mean, seriously. He said he was a little rusty after so many years, but the songs he played were nearly flawless. It was beautiful, and I was reminded how much I enjoy listening to him toot his own horn! ;-)

Christmas Presents

There is just something about having someone who opens a gift from you and exclaims, "WOAH!!!!!" and proceeds to rejoice about it for quite some time afterwards. There's a certain joy that comes from seeing six animals flying through the air and the ensuing chaos that comes from the excitement of that particular gift. I can now tell Patti to have a cow, and tell David things will only happen when pigs fly. Rachael gave us all a little tidbit of excitement. (Way to steal everyone else's thunder! ;-) She gave my mom a picture of her family, including the new little one due in August. Of course, it's a white outline with a question mark on it, but it's still pretty exciting. I'm hoping for a boy . . . or a girl . . . just as long as it's not an ugly baby. But, looking at the first two, odds are pretty good that no matter what it is, it's gonna be cute, and I'm gonna be the favorite auntie! Really, that's all that matters!! Seth and Danna also rock, and got me Guitar Hero for Christmas. I've played with it constantly for the past three days. I figure, I have to get as much playing time with it as possible before school starts back up and my responsibility keeps me from being a rock star. My Dad got some stuff for his train set, and my mom got a new kitchen toy, so on Christmas day, all three of us were "playing" with our new toys. It was actually quite entertaining!

Christmas Vacation

Who am I kidding? One of the best parts of Christmas is not having to get up and go to work until the new year! (My apologies and condolences to those of you who do not have the luxury of sleeping in and playing until January 2!) I also rather enjoy the freedom of doing whatever I want to. Unlike last year, I haven't felt obligated to do anything for school during the break. It's been a nice feeling. The day after Christmas, I spent all day at Rachael's house watching Hairspray, playing Guitar Hero, playing Dance Dance Revolution, and just all around having fun. Her boys are always a great source of entertainment. Another day, I spent the entire day reading. I love being able to just sit and read all day long!

All in all, the break has been wonderful. Christmas was wonderful. I've been able to de-stress quite a bit, and I'm not nearly as close to quitting my job as I was a few weeks ago. I think my financial obligations are grateful for that fact! ;-)