Christmas Morning - Santa Came!!!
Christmas Day!
I slept in the latest I have ever slept in on a Christmas morning at 8:10 am (I know, I know it's not "late" to most people but you're talking to the girl who used to wake up around 5 am and have to lay in her bed waiting until 7 am to open stockings when she was a kid). Mom, Dad and I did our stockings together and got ready for the day ahead. [On a side note, Santa brought me some new CDs, a Chapters gift card, candies and hand and foot warmers for skiing this winter! ]
Susan, Alec and Leah arrived around 9:30 - Leah was wearing the cutest little piglet pajamas nad housecoat set that Alec had bought her - and we had some time to do presents with them and then Dave, Alison and Martha showed up for our traditional Christmas brunch - Mom's Christmas Morning casserole along with champagne and orange juice.
I slept in the latest I have ever slept in on a Christmas morning at 8:10 am (I know, I know it's not "late" to most people but you're talking to the girl who used to wake up around 5 am and have to lay in her bed waiting until 7 am to open stockings when she was a kid). Mom, Dad and I did our stockings together and got ready for the day ahead. [On a side note, Santa brought me some new CDs, a Chapters gift card, candies and hand and foot warmers for skiing this winter! ]
Susan, Alec and Leah arrived around 9:30 - Leah was wearing the cutest little piglet pajamas nad housecoat set that Alec had bought her - and we had some time to do presents with them and then Dave, Alison and Martha showed up for our traditional Christmas brunch - Mom's Christmas Morning casserole along with champagne and orange juice.
Visiting Our Extended Family
After the Pedens left, we finished up opening presents - I was spoiled once again with a new camera, pottery from Susan, a new lunch bag, books, DVDs, gift cards, a ring (from Mom - not a boy...), and an emulsifier for my soup-making! Everyone else did pretty well too and I am happy to say that Leah was not overly spoiled as a lot of kids are on their first Christmases. My gifts seemed to go over pretty well - Alec loved his Chelsea hat and Mom was thrilled with her Andis hair dryer (that's what they use at the Fairmont Hotels - lah-di-dah!).
Susan, Alec and I headed over for our annual visit to the Gilbert's where Kelly predictably described Leah as "delicious" and Polly did her best to feed us another meal. I had a special gift for Hillary and you'll see from the picture below that she was pretty excited as she leapt on top of me when she opened it!
We did some photos in front of Polly's tree and enjoyed some time with my second family before heading back home.
Susan, Alec and I headed over for our annual visit to the Gilbert's where Kelly predictably described Leah as "delicious" and Polly did her best to feed us another meal. I had a special gift for Hillary and you'll see from the picture below that she was pretty excited as she leapt on top of me when she opened it!
We did some photos in front of Polly's tree and enjoyed some time with my second family before heading back home.
Rinn Christmas!
The day wasn't done yet! Rinn Christmas guests began arriving around 4 pm. Our cousins from Australia have been visiting in Thamesford since December 14th - Mom's cousin Trish, her husband Barry, and their 21 year-old son Adam - so we had the three of them along with Mom's cousin Barb joining us this year. With the Rinn contingency growing more each year (Leah this year, Mark & Ashley's new baby arriving in 2011) and our 4 guests, there were 18 of us around the two tables for dinner this year! Mom cooked a humongous turkey, loads of stuffing, and TWO kinds of potatoes! Everyone else brought the supporting cast of dishes and we had one heck of a Christmas feast.
The adults draw names for gifts and we all buy for the little girls. The group of us crowded around the tree to open presents which was a little hectic but fun nonetheless. I got a very cute brown messenger bag-style purse from Aunt Marie! By 8 pm , the little ones had had enough and I think the adults were feeling the same way... Mom, Dad, and I were in bed by 10 and snoring away by 10:05.
What a great day!
The adults draw names for gifts and we all buy for the little girls. The group of us crowded around the tree to open presents which was a little hectic but fun nonetheless. I got a very cute brown messenger bag-style purse from Aunt Marie! By 8 pm , the little ones had had enough and I think the adults were feeling the same way... Mom, Dad, and I were in bed by 10 and snoring away by 10:05.
What a great day!