Christmas

I really enjoyed having my sister Sharon's family here this past week to celebrate Christmas. They left this morning and I'm always sad to see them go since we have so much fun together, but it is nice to get back to my regular routine again because when we have company visiting with us blogging takes the back burner! Now that the house is empty again I'm playing catch up on my blog. Here's how we spent Christmas Day:

On Christmas morning my mom and younger sister Chandra had to snap around so that I could get up in my wheelchair early since we had a house full of young kids who were eager to open their presents to see what Santa had brought them. Even though my mom and sister quite efficient with my morning routine, it still takes quite a bit of time to get me ready for the day since I can't just hop out of bed and quickly get dressed like a normal person can. Aandll in all, I think we made good time as I was dressed and up in my wheelchair with my hair fixed and makeup done by 8 AM.

After I was out, I went out into the other room in the kids open their second while we waited for breakfast to come out of the oven. When I was growing up we always had some kind of sweet rolls for Christmas but first (like cinnamon rolls) with grapefruit on the side. This year we have points rolls and caramel pecan rolls made by my sister Sharon. They were sooo good, especially the caramel pecan rolls.

After we ate breakfast we gathered in the living room and started opening our presents. We got through about half of them before we took a break to go to church. [When I was a kid I always thought it was disappointing when Christmas fell on a Sunday since that meant we had to go to church on Christmas morning. Like most kids, I just wanted to open my presents and play with my new toys and I didn't want to have to bother with going to church. As horrible and ungrateful as it makes me sound, even though I'm older, I still kind of get a little disappointed when Christmas falls on a Sunday. However, I realize that even though going to church on Christmas morning might inconveniently interrupt the unwrapping of Christmas presents, but going to church and worshiping the Lord is absolutely the most important way anyone could celebrate Christmas.]

Elizabeth, Kate and Sarah got American Girl Doll "Bitty Babies." I loved watching the girls' reactions as they open their gifts!

the daylight I I will make you like to meet you going toRachel got a Calico Critters bunny family and a house for them, as well as umbrella, which is what she really wanted!

Chandra gave me a Mary Engelbreit wall calendar for 2012 which wasn't surprising since she knows I love Mary Engelbreit's bright, colorful artwork. She also gave me a little bonsai tree which was surprising. I love pretty things, so these gifts were perfect for me!

I was glad my sister Laura and her family could spend Christmas with us.him As Christmas approached, I was starting to get worried that Laura maybe in the hospital having her baby (or recovering from childbirth) but David cooperated and arrived just in time for Christmas! It was so much fun watching Amy open her presents!

Laura and her own four day old "bitty baby." Christmas is over for another year which is hard to believe since it seems like the Christmas seahimson gets shorter and shorter each year. We sure had lots of fun, though!