Skip to main content

Christmas at Home

This year we decided to spend our first Christmas at home instead of with family in Mobile, Alabama. It was a hard decision to make because we really do enjoy being with family and Christmas is different when you are not surrounded by family. However, as Joey and I were at a Christmas luncheon hosted by his boss, we both realized how much more relaxed we are being home. This year we will start our own family traditions.

On Christmas Eve we plan to attend the 4:30 pm Christmas Eve service at our church, St. Luke's Lutheran. We are discussing our dinner options for Christmas Eve, either dinner at Outback Steakhouse or dinner at home. The winning vote right now is dinner out but Brad wants to eat taco's at home....taco's for Christmas Eve dinner. Who eats taco's for Christmas Eve dinner?

Christmas Eve night before the kids go to bed we will read the Christmas story from the Bible, we will take turns reading the versus. In the past we read "The Night Before Christmas" too but my kids are over that story and want to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Reading the Christmas story from the Bible will be a first in our family, in the past we just read from a children's book. Personally, I am looking forward to all of us participating in the reading instead of just me reading to everyone.

We will wake up Christmas morning, the kids will bee line for their Christmas stockings and then wait patiently at the Christmas tree as their dad and I get our camera and video camera ready. It will take all of 15 minutes for them to tear open their presents and 15 minutes for me to clean their mess. After presents are opened, I will make a Christmas brunch. The kids will play with their new gifts most of the day and I will spend time in the kitchen preparing our Christmas dinner feast of Honey Baked Ham, Green Beans with Bacon, Hash Brown Potato Casserole, Garlic Mashed Potato's, Fruit Salad and for desert Pumpkin Pie (store bought of course, remember I don't bake).

The best thing about being home for Christmas is so far Ashley is not sick. In the past Ashley has always gotten sick during Christmas. This year she is healthy and we are going to keep it that way. Knock on wood, cross your fingers, and a little prayer doesn't hurt either.

Here is a picture from Christmas past. This picture is from Christmas 2003, Brad is 7 1/2 years old and Ashley is 5 1/2 year old. Skylar, the cat, is 6 months old. Aren't' they just adorable!

Below is a picture of our house all decorated and a picture of this years Christmas tree decorated with white lights, red pointsetta's and gold ornaments.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Okay so I made you wait a couple years.  I promise I will try to get better at this.  Now to help  you catch up on what happened in 2018, 2019 and so far in 2020. Let's see...this might be a very short post at least for the years 2018 and 2019.   2018 In 2018, Brad graduated from the Univeristy of Alabama with a BS Degree in Economics and Philosphy in May. He is still dating his high school sweetheart, McKenzie, there is talk of marriage.  After graduation, Brad got a job with Reuters as part of their Graduate Leadership Program.  Then the division of Reuters that Brad worked for became Refinitiv. He lived in NYC for about six weeks for training and then lived in Chicago for about 9 months before they transferred him to Houston to work as a Customer Success Manager in Commodities and Energy. McKenzie also graduated with a BS in Pharmacy but continued with her graduate studies.  Ashley is a Junior in college and she is doing well academically and h...
Post a Comment
Read more

It's been a while. Did you know...

that Ashley was in the hospital  after Thanksgiving and before Christmas?  She had a bleed. She has varices.  Just a little reminder that she is not healthy and has a life threatening liver disease. that we lost our beloved beautiful puppy, Sarge, on January 2.  It was sudden, shocking, and sad.  We think he had leukemia based on his symptoms.  Not sure if we will ever get another dog.  Sarge was one of a kind and a perfect fit for our laid back, drama free family. that Ashley made the Principal's Honor Roll her 1st Semester of high school while taking all honors courses.  She is beautiful and smart. that Ashley is still dancing for her high school dance team minus a solo this year. She loves being part of the team but really misses competing in her favorite style of dance, lyrical/contemporary. that after a couple years of not having a dance studio to call home.  We think we may have finally found just the place.  Maybe som...
1 comment
Read more

On the Mend

Ashley's doing better and was able to attend dance company rehearsals Saturday and she was finally able to eat something for lunch on Saturday. She still doesn't have much of an appetite but she at least is on the mend and is no longer contagious. Me on the other hand. I have been very healthy these last few years; hardly sick at all. Yesterday, I came down with a very nasty stomach virus and I am frequently in discomfort. Other than a bout with intermittent stomach cramps and frequent trips to the bathroom, I feel fine. Hopefully this little stomach bug will go away very soon. And I pray that I don't pass it along to anyone else in the family especially Ashley. Cookbook Update : I just checked the UPS website and the cookbooks are on time, in Orlando, and should be delivered to our house tomorrow, June 30. I am so excited. We have 80 more cookbooks to sell, so if you haven't ordered yours yet please do so today. Please see information about ordering cookbooks at the ri...
Post a Comment
Read more