Christmas Eve 2012

Our recovery from the grueling trip of yesterday (grueling in terms of the overall fatigue, certainly off-set by the joyous occasion of family!) was required to be rather quick, as this morning was Christmas Eve. Mommy, especially, was markedly stressed by efforts to finalize some gift preparations. It seemed each of us struggled to overcome the fatigue from our trip the previous day, though all of us were excited about going to GiGi’s and GiPa’s for our Christmas tradition dinner and gift exchange.

Daddy did his best to occupy the two of you, certainly a task made decisively lighter by the presence of the gifts you received while in VincennesJ. It proved to still be a bit of a struggle to control your excitement, as in your own way it was clear you each were excited about our evening with Grandma, GiGi and GiPa.

When the two of you settled in for your afternoon nap, Mommy and Daddy had to shift into high gear to make final preparations before our evening celebration. Mommy performed her usual magic in getting things done beautifully and on schedule, and Daddy made a modest contribution by gift wrapping some giftsJ. Mommy also tasked Daddy with making a run to the grocery store, Mommy does not enjoy grocery shopping. Both Mommy and Daddy miscalculated our available bank account balance, so after Daddy worked his way through the check-out line of the most busy day he has ever witnessed at the grocery store and having a cart overflowing with products amounting in excess of $200 our debit card was declined numerous times. There were easily ten people waiting in line behind Daddy, and Daddy was literally perspiring so profusely the manager who was summoned to decide what could be done suggested that an ambulance be called! Frankly the rest of the story is too stressful to even recount, but a Christmas miracle was managed and Daddy (and the groceries) made it home alive!  -Mommy would just like to note that I feel horribly about Daddy’s shopping ordeal.  Mommy couldn’t transfer money quick enough and Mommy could only imagine the embarrassment that Daddy felt!  Mommy would have killed Daddy had the tables been turned ha/ha 

To the surprise of Mommy and Daddy (especially Mommy), we made it to GiGi’s on time for our planned dinner celebration. And what a celebration it proved (once again) to be! We had a delicious dinner (following the shrimp cocktail and cheese ball and crackers) of ribs and chicken, baked beans and baked potatoes, salad and cranberry salad and dinner rolls and Daddy’s favorite, deviled eggs! After a proverbial feast, we settled in for a gift exchange which again, as happened in Vincennes, two little baby angels (yes, that would be you Princess Bodhi and Prince Buddha) made out like bandits, with beautiful clothes and stunning toys (and Mommy and Daddy were no less spoiled by the generosity of Grandma and GiGi and GiPa!)! We are remarkably blessed with loving and generous family, and it will require years of developed maturity for the two of you to fully appreciate the full breath and girth of that blessing!

Literally worn from joy and love, we made our way back home with loot literally overflowing in our vehicle and only pure exhaustion offset the anticipation of the next day of continuing celebration, Christmas!

Gifts from Grandmoo :)

Look at that face!

GiGi :)
You two help distract GiGi from the sorrow she feels from losing her son, Uncle Tony several Christmas' ago :)

Spider Man p.j.'s were a big hit with you Buddha :)

Bodhi loving her Hello Kitty shawl...Grandmoo got you the Hello Kitty outfit you picked out :)

GiGi had "Fifty Shades of Gray" on her Christmas list.  Mommy had heard all her friends talking about this book, but never knew what it was about.  Well, Mommy found out from Aunt Dianna, so Mommy told GiGi had Mommy known, she would have received a "toy" with her book.  GiGi got embarrassed HA/HA!!!!