Perfect Christmas

Christmas was great this year! It is great every year though. I remember how much I loved Christmas time last year because we were able to see lots of family and spend time here and there with friends. It was just an old fashioned Christmas with games and turkey and gifts and just how Christmas should be. This year it was slightly different...ok it was way different but I LOVED it! : )

Christmas eve we went to Pastor Kirk and Joyce's house and had a ham (the best ham I have ever had I am SURE) with Pastor Nathan and Abby and Dan (our sound guy at church). We ate shrimp cocktail and chips with dip for appetizer and then had an awesome ham and veggie dinner. Oh! And there was amazing hot cider...yum! Then we were off to our Christmas eve program!

There were only 10 people who showed up from our church but there was about 150 altogether and it was great to fellowship in the Lord! We got to sit and chat over refreshments with, who I believe to be, the oldest members of our church...Pete and Norma. Pete is from Norweigh and Norma is from Germany. She told us how she ran from the Russians with her mother in the 1950's...something so intense and she told it like it was no big deal at all. I was fascinated!

Afterward we went back to Pastor Kirks house and had pie and cookies and pumpkin bread and chocolate...oh man...it was everything I have been craving the last 8 months : ) We also watched a Charlie Brown Christmas. I have seen it a MILLION times...but this year it just really meant something to me. I love that they tell the REAL meaning of Christmas.

Kirk and Joyce had gifts for everyone and I was so overwhelmed! I recieved a beautiful willow tree figure called guardian http://www.giftsanddec.com/articles/images/GDA/20080428/0428bigDemdaco.jpgand Jamie got a book and a picture frame that says Daddy's girl. Abby and Nathan gave us fudge and I got a pair of BEAUTIFUL earrings from India : ) The best gift was just laughing at each other and feeling like we were at home.

Christmas morning Jamie and I opened the gifts from my parents and a couple of gifts we had gotten each other. I got an awesome pink fleecey robe for the hospital from Jamie : ) We hung out and ate some breakfast...took a nap...and then we went to Benihanna's Japanese Steakhouse. It was so fun! Our grill cook was so nice and kept me laughing. Jamie got steak and lobster tail (the best I have EVER had) and I got terriyaki steak. I almost had to be rolled out of there I was so full...but it was awesome. Needless to say that won't be happening again for a long long time, but it was such a nice gift from mom and dad and we really enjoyed it.

After that we came home and watched Christmas Story and the some of the first season of 24. We just got into that series and are really into it. I can't believe I didn't know about this for 7 years! haha OH and we also watch Christmas Vacation before we went to bed.

Jamie had the day off today so we slept in and cleaned a little and spent some gift cards. I would say it has been a very blessed week and I am thankful for all that happened. Even if our families weren't around it was so nice to be with our church family and I am thankful for the experience. I wouldn't change a thing.

On that note though... I can't wait to see our families! Jubilee should be coming soon and with it visits from Jamies family and mine! HOW EXCITING! Come on Jubilee...anyday now!