Merry & Bright

We had a great Christmas. Sofie and I spent the week visiting Nanas and Papas doing lots of fun things. She had so much fun, even though she came down with a cold right after she left home. Unfortunately the cold is still hanging on, but she's doing pretty well with it, and it didn't stop her from having all the Christmas fun she could stand. It did keep her from visiting some people that we really wanted to visit, especially Staci and Wanda and Ernie. Sorry we missed you guys!!



We started the official festivities off on Christmas Eve by braving the blizzard on the way to Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's house. Their house is only about 10 minutes from Nana Linda and Papa Steve's, but it took about half an hour to get there. Giant golfball snowflakes were blowing sideways at 50 mph. The roads were completely snowed over and we could only see to the end of the hood of the car. I think we got around a foot of snow. It was treacherous, but we made it.

Nana Cheryl made a yummy Mexican dinner with homemade enchiladas, burritos, beans, dip, and lots of other yummy things. So good!! Then we went to Christmas Eve Mass. Nana Cheryl sang in the choir, and Sofie just had to join in. She was belting out the songs from the front row and waving at Nana. It was so cute. Until Father started speaking and Sofie just had to talk over him. Blah! Blah! Blah! HI!! Blah! Blah!

So Daddy took her to the back of the church. Still louder than Father, so they closed the doors on her. You could still hear her, in the back, behind the glass doors, over the crying kids still seated. Loudest kid in church. Right here. Gotta say, I'm a little proud of those lungs.

After the shouting match Mass, we off-roaded (I'm assuming) back to Nana and Papa's to see if Santa came. Despite the church yelling, Santa had visited, so we all opened gifts until the wee hours.





In the wee hours we traveled back to Nana Linda and Papa Steve's to sleep. Santa hadn't been there yet, but Sofie was asleep, so it was a good thing she'd put cookies out for him before she left earlier.

When Sofie woke up the next morning, Santa had been there. The cookies were all gone, except for a few crumbs. She toddled out in her candy cane pj's and got to open some more gifts. What a lucky girl!







Then it was time for a big Christmas lunch made by Nana Linda and Mommy. Yum! Great Grandpa Charlie and our cousin, Janette, joined us. We didn't get to visit with them nearly as long as we wanted to, because Mommy had to head back home to go to work. It was nice to see everyone though! And thanks for all the wonderful gifts!




Sofie and Daddy went back to Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's for the afternoon and evening of Christmas for more visiting with Great Grandpa Bill, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I'm sad I missed you guys!

Sofie and Daddy came back home the morning after Christmas to find Mommy snuggled in her bed, with visions of sugar plums dancing in her head...and the 3 hours worth of snow she shoveled after a long night's work...and a little stray dog she found that peed all over her...and, no, wait, Mommy was too tired for any kind of dancing. zzzzzzzz...

Until Saturday afternoon, when we had yet another Christmas for the three (five counting Gracie and Lola) of us at home. By then, Sofie was pretty much over unwrapping gifts, so we helped a lot, and she did give us some ooohs and aahhhs. Maybe next year we'll scale it down a bit. But I think we said that last year.

Look what Santa brought to Sofie's house...