Monday, December 29, 2008

The Christmas aftermath

We had such a wonderful holiday this past week. My family traveled up to spend it with us. There was lots of food, hot toddys, and no cards! We were all so worn out by the end of the night, we all opted for bedtime. Christmas morning was so much fun. Luke kept Emmett busy while the rest of us got ready and in place for the grand entrance into the living room where Santa had left way to many presents(Emmett was not THAT good this year!). There was a huge bear sitting at a table and chairs right where Emmett walked in. Mom and I had cameras going-one on video and the other snapping pictures! He looked very confused and almost worried. It took a bit til he got into present mode. We had to take a nap time break around 9am. While Emmett napped, the rest of us opened our presents and enjoyed a bountiful breakfast feast and bubbly mimosas. We also decided to put away a few presents that Luke and I got for Emmett til his birthday. He was already seeming to be overwhelmed and really could wait on a few of the gifts. When he awoke, we finished the rest of the gifts and played all day. It turns out Luke and I gave him the most annoying gift. We were sure it was going to be the talking Elmo. The talking Handy Manny tool set is soooo very irritating(a big thanks goes out to cousin Trish for finding the tools at Kohls!). We had crown roast of pork for dinner. It turned out very pretty and delicious too. Of course the fixings with it were good, but the pork was really the star of the show. I wish I had taken a picture before we tore into it.


Luke and Chrissy braved the freezing temps and blowing snow to spend the morning after Christmas at Red Lodge Mountain. The slopes were covered with about 4-5 inches of fresh powder! The rest of us came up to meet them for beers and lunch afterwards.

Saturday, "the girls" went post-christmas shopping in Billings. We left the "boys" to fend for themselves for the day. We hit many stores and saved tons of cash with the sales going on. We came home with a pretty loaded car. I actually got most stocking stuffers and a few gifts checked of the list for next year!

Mark had his 60th birthday this weekend! Wish we could have been there to celebrate! Wishing you a happy healthy birthday and many more to come!

Now the house is quiet as Mom, Dad, Chrissy, Ken and the dog Holly drove home yesterday. The house is cleaned , laundry is finally done, and I don't plan on cooking for the rest of the week due to the amount of leftovers in the fridge. Back to plain, old normal. See you all in a few weeks!





Playing with Uncle Ken's gift


Eating Santa's cookies
Playing outside in the cold
Christmas eve gift