scenes from christmas weekend 2011

As if Christmas wasn't cool enough on it's own, it fell on a weekend. Which meant a WEEKEND FULL OF CHRISTMAS. I'm still recovering from the food/sugar/lounging around in PJ's coma I put myself in.

{Christmas Eve 12.24}

Since Christmas fell on a Sunday and all that good sthuff, we opted to have our family time on Christmas Eve instead. Mama's side of the family came, along with Gran Jan, and we ate & ate & ate. And admired Bullet. 

The guests converged in the living room.

The grown up table.

Mama & I worked hard on the meal of ham, mashed taters, green bean casserole, another assorted veggies, and deviled eggs. I had three of those suckers...then two more later. I'm such a pig.

Clark focuses on eating.

No meal is complete without Dr. Pepper.

After dinner, we hung around & loved on Bullet some more. Because DUH! He is just so lovable.

Dumb kit lens wouldn't give me amazing bokeh like I saw in my head.

Yeahhh...he's totally stolen our hearts.

And then there was dessert...two pumpkin pies, fudge, and Amish bread.

After everyone left and we had MORE food, we settled in the animals & opened our traditional Christmas Eve present of new PJ's.

Bullet crashed...thank the Lord! He was wide open all afternoon.

Butter, the other pet...he's such a weirdo. Slept up against the HOT metal fireplace & on Dad's wood gloves.

Wonder what it could be?! ;)

Bullet got up and helped. <3

Polka dots FTW!

My little bro

Bullet joined us in putting the star up on the Advent calendar.

We ended the night with watching It's a Wonderful Life for the first time {and then finding out it was on TV too was hilarious!} and reading Mockingjay snuggled under the blankets.

{Christmas Day 12.25}

Bullet did a GREAT job sleeping through the night, and we all slept so late that Mama & Dad had to wake us up around 8:30. Getting woken up by little puppy licks on your face is amazing, BTW.

After we had read the last installment in our Advent story, it was onto the stockings! Yesss.

I spy candyyy!

Something my readers don't know {yet}, it that I decided to become a nurse this past school year. Lots of things lead up to the decision, like my love for the medical field & the feeling that if I went with a different career I'd regret not pursuing my dream. I even wrote a paper on it for the evil English class of 2011, I'm so hardcore about it. Ha.

All that to say, I asked for a camera ornament {we always get one representing our year} but alas, Mama couldn't find one. So, I just said OK & wondered what one they'd get me...turns out my got me such a great one: it's a nurse! I was so surprised & almost cried.

it's just SO awesome.

Surveying the stocking goodies...

the size of his eyes when he saw the giant

What I made out with in my stocking this year: tea, my ornament, new mascara, pretzel M&Ms, and a giant Hershey's bar.

Ususally we get a "big" present each year...Clark's was the puppy {DUH} and mine was a Kindle Fire! I am so totally stoked; this is my first tablet/techonlogy ALL MY OWN.

Puffy & makeup-less but joyful face. Thanksn Mama & Dad!

Other gifts...

Shower radio from Gran Jan...I rock out to Maroon 5 while washing my face. You're jealous I know.

JCPenney's gift card WOOT! I can never shop there because it's so dang expensive.

My view (I didn't get ALL these gifts...both the puzzle & Yahtzee are family presents.

Puppy snuggles <3

Bullet made out like a bandit. Dog toys galore, but of course he prefers to bite us better.

In addition to the puzzle and Yahtzee, we got Hedbandz. Clark saw it on iCarly. Ahem. I am simutaneously appalled and proud.

Dad got sweatpants, flannel PJ bottoms, slippers, and a water bottle. Mama got the latter two plus hand towels as well.

We spent the rest of the day eating {I had FOUR more deviled eggs. I'm addicted, I tell ya}, watching movies {Cars 2 & From Prada to Nada} playing around on the Kindle Fire, and just enjoying each other & vegging out in front of the fire. ::sigh:: I love the holidays.

SUCH a goober.

We ended the night with football & a couple games of Yahtzee, which Clark & I had NEVER played before. It's a new favorite!

I hope you guys had a great Christmas as well!