Christmas was great as usual! And even better than last year because we didn’t have to travel to get home.

Christmas Eve day we spent the day with Patrick’s family eating too much good food and watching football. Ok, I wasn’t really watching the game as much as I was watching in amusement how worked up people were over it. From there we went to Andy’s (Patrick’s best friend and second family) family first in Oklahoma and then to his parents. I got to hold his newphew who was born in October.

Patrick and I had volunteered to host Christmas for my family since I’d had so much fun doing it the year before we moved. My parents had passed their 9 ft christmas tree down to us to put up in our front window, but sadly it didn’t fit. So I put up two trees instead and the house was nice and festive. Everybody worked hard to help me get ready by bringing food and helping heat it and set it up. Patrick cooked ham and deep fried a turkey. He was in charge of the meats!

I got to see my brother and his family who I’d missed in all our running around last year and my sister was in town too. My aunt, uncle and cousins came as well as my parents and grandfather. It was great to have a full house. I love to play Martha Stewart, though ever so slightly less graceful under pressure.

My aunt and uncle got all the women these scarves, so Mom, Rach and I had to model them for the camera. Picture to follow when Patrick reminds me how the heck to get it in there.

It was a great holiday and my favorite time of year. Patrick was off for just over a week, but finally went back to work on Tuesday and gave the dogs and I the house back!

(If you click on the picture you can see a version where our faces don’t look so funny.)