Monday, December 21, 2009

Merry Christmas..... times a lot!

Sorry that I have been MIA lately, we have had a lot going on the last few days. With Christmas just around the corner, and my family leaving for vacation Christmas morning, we practically celebrate Christmas one weekend a month from the beginning of December until December 24th.

My parents parent's are all divorced and 3 out of 4 are remarried - which makes for many xmas celebrations, which i love, because i love nothing more than to be with my family (and friends) during the holidays.

This weekend was no exception... Friday night we celebrated Christmas with my Dad's dad, his wife Janet, and my Great Grandma Millie, along with my dad's siblings and all of their kids (my cousin's).... so in all there were 22 of us...
Aunt Lu, Janet and Brooke

Here is the kids table... i'm pretty sure the adults in the dining room were jealous of the fun we were having at our table!
My Grandpa always took my great grandma to a little place in Westerville called Jillians. My great grandma is a very sophisticated lady, who is always prim and proper however she called Jillian's fine dining - which always made me laugh, because it was nothing more than a hole in the wall pub. But Jillian's was going under renovation, and they called to ask my aunt if she would want to purchase the booth my grandpa and grandma always sat at for lunch, and of course my aunt said yes.. so we set up the booth down in my parents basement for them to enjoy a fine dining experience at Jillian's pub (disclaimer - my mom did not make them eat their xmas dinner downstairs!)
Most of the cousin's waiting to open gifts

My cousin Jeremy recently got engaged to Jen, and my aunt got their name in blocks for Christmas.

Alli just realized that her name was in ranALLI and decided to hold up her name as well... she is special alright!

Here is my great grandma Millie rocking out my aunt's glasses (she is too stubborn to go and get her eyes checked at 95)... isn't she adorable!
Sunday I started my day with exchanging gifts with Justin, well the gifts that I didn't already open (hehe) and the ones that he didn't already get/open. We always set a spending limit on what we can buy one another - which I really think helps - it allows us to be creative as well as helps us both with our budgets!

Justin's Gifts for Moi:

*ugg slippers*a wallet*a watch *2 Homage Tee's* and a few shirts from Kohl's*


Gifts that I received from JM:
*Julie and Julia (a movie about cooking and blogging - whats not to love!)* a can opener (because mine was AWFUL!) * a pair of charcoal chuck t's * and a new Coach purse* (and the pink shirt that I posted about a few days ago - that I had to have!)

After we exchanged gifts it was off to a cookie exchange with at one of my friends mom's house. I was quiet embarrased of what I attempted to bring to the cookie exchange. I called Lauren 15 minutes before I was supposed to be there telling her that I had a cookie casuality and that I would not be able to make it.... she said just throw whatever you have on a plate and come, it will be fine, and my response to that was that is my problem! I can't throw the Turtle Bars on the plate because they are just falling apart. So after a near breakdown JM came to the rescue to help me... we broke the crumbles down a little bit more and put them in bags and called them ice cream turtle topping.... nothing like improvising! I think I watch too much Food Network because I was embarrassed to serve them with my name on it - hopefully someone out of the 15+ that were there enjoyed my ice cream topping! ha
Here are just a few of the girls who participated in the cookie exchange. Lauren and her mom did such a great job of hosting it!
We ended the Sunday at my parents house for our Sunday meal and Gift Exchange. I absolutely love my parents house during the holidays. It always feels like home to me but it just feels so much warmer when the house is decorated for Christmas.

My mom had set the dining room table for dinner
J and I in front of the tree

Alli with her new pair of Uggs from my grandma (my mom's mom who is in Florida)
My Uggs from my grandma - thank you Nonna... we had a very Uggy Xmas around our household

The boys opening up their gifts from Brad and Laura ... their very own suitcases - so they no longer have to borrow theirs or ours when they travel
Alli with all of her red "glassware stuff" for on top of her cabinets in her kitchen
Here is Lilly, Alli and Doug's beagle, and her xmas toy from J and I
Lily really did not want J to leave my parents.. as he walked - she walked on her back 2 legs all the way down the hallway

Tonight we had J's parents over to celebrate xmas - and I wasn't very good at taking pictures, I did get one picture of his parent's dog, Boomer with one of his T-Bone treats and walrus stuffed animal.
Jaci also stopped by tonight because she had a "crafty" gift for me... she thought this is just what my mantle needed.... isn't it AWESOME! thank you jaci - you are so thoughtful!

We have one more xmas to celebrate at my dad's mom's house xmas eve... and then we will attend christmas eve service at church, where it will truly feel like the holidays....

Only 4 more days!

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