Swimming With Dolphins: Christmas Morn and Eve

Okay, so I am way late in posting a recap of our Christmas Day. As is the case for most of us in the new year, life has been exceptionally busy, hence this blog has suffered a bit as a result. It took a few weeks for me to get back into the groove of working and find that balance. I resolve to write more!

Christmas was a whirlwind to say the least as we hopped from place to place like frogs (a common theme over the holiday break). We spent Christmas Eve in Salem (an hour's drive away) and returned home that same night and finished packing our bags. We woke up next morning fairly early (6:30ish) to get our things ready for our trip later in the day to Bend. We all showered and got dressed. My MIL came over at 8:00 to have breakfast with us. She brought over a danish sweet roll made by a local lady that was large enough to feed all of us (and then some). We had some fruit and egg nog as well. The kids relished these wonderful treats, as did we.

After our bellies were full, we got right to the gifts. The kids got to open their presents from Santa first. I wanted them to take turns opening them (a longheld tradition in my family so we can savor each other's joy and reaction), but I was outvoted by hubby and my MIL, who prefer to just have them open them all at once. We ultimately compromised to let them open them together, while we adults waited patiently to open ours. The kids were excited with each of their gifts. Kirsten received many things that she had asked for, much to her delight. Nicholas had a particularly happy day as he received not one, but two DS games. It will be awhile before he gets another new one. We have a strict rule that he only gets to play his DS once a week and only if he has a good week at school, so it is definitely a major treat for him to play it.

After the kids unwrapped their goodies, we finished opening our own gifts. By the time we were done, it was already mid-morning. We knew we had better get on the road soon if we were to make good time. We said our goodbyes to Grandma J and tried to clean up the room a little. The car was quickly loaded and we were on our way to Bend for my second family Christmas.

Just a quick sidebar...for those not in the know, my mother and natural father divorced when I was just a wee one. Both remarried while I was too young to remember and thus extended family seesaw began. This backstory is too long to rehash here, but I have positive relationships with everyone (though my stepmother is no longer in the picture).

So after a 3 1/2 - 4 hour drive, we arrived in Bend by early afternoon and the festivities were soon underway. My family is too big to name them all here, however many were there. We snacked on a vast array of yummy foods. My Mom knocked herself out to make this delicious spread and was much appreciated by all. My cousin Teresa made her famous pies (she made the cherry one pictured in a previous post). It was so much fun catching up with everyone since we don't get to see each other nearly enough. We hadn't been home to Bend for a visit since July (six months is too long!). We opened presents, gorged ourselves on munchies, joked around, and generally had a grand time. My older brother, Steve, brought his new bride to meet everyone.
She immediately fit right in with the family.

This Christmas was bittersweet, because it would be our last in this house. My parents are nomadic by nature, but they have been in this house since 1994. When they began building it, they finally had the home in the country they had so wanted. It is the only home many of the grandchildren have ever known. They are downsizing and moving closer to town. My Dad is partially retired and my Mom is nearing her retirement. To commemorate this final Christmas, my Mom insisted on measuring every grandchild from the smallest to the tallest, despite their age. Their measurements have been marked on this log wall every Christmas since they moved in. Come hell or high water, that log is coming with them. It was a wonderful family holiday with lots of laughter and smiles. As we all go about our busy lives, it's so nice that we can come together and just be with each other. It gives one such a sense of peace and contentment.

Mom, K, and I went shopping the next morning for a bit. Found some great bargains! We had intended to go ice skating later in the afternoon at an outdoor rink, but it was just barely 10 degrees. We battled one too many colds this season and weren't in the mood to bring any new viruses home. So we opted for some indoor fun, or so we thought. Grandpa P, N, K, and I were gonna see Princess and the Frog, but the theater was bursting with crowds. We couldn't even find a place to park in the nearby businesses. It was just so beyond busy that we decided not to battle the crowds and headed to the park to appease the kids, who were very disappointed. After seeing the frozen pond and all the ducks walking on water (so to speak), they got over it pretty quickly. I snapped away at the beautiful frost that covered everything in sight. The chill kicked in right away, so we sought shelter in an ice cream parlor of all places. We sipped hot cocoa to warm up our insides and checked out an old-fashioned toy store in the downtown district. Then we came back home and vegged for the remainder of the day at my parents' home.

We left after breakfast on Sunday morning. DH had to get back to work. All in all, it was a wonderfully exhausting weekend. The kids and I ended up seeing the movie on Monday, so all was forgiven. :)