4 Christmases - Our Christmas Letter

Masynn and her Swim to me Puppy prior to losing her tooth
Benny and Me, KasiAnne and Mike
Benny, Braxton and Me
Benny and Me


I meant to get this posted yesterday but with the madness of the holiday season here I am just beating that midnight on Christmas Day clock. I guess in a way its pretty neat because I can just tell you about our busy Christmas instead of a recap of the year.

I finally realized today that even though I still love opening presents, the whole magical Christmas thing you feel as a kid is just not the same as an adult. I'm not saying that its bad by any means I've just realized that its really just exhausting. I love getting to see my family that I hardly seem to ever see anymore and I still love the thrill of getting those that mean so much to me, presents that I know they will love and appreciate.

The best part is that this year I did more personalized gifts. Those of you that know me well know that I am a rather crafty gal. I think this craftiness stems from that of necessity in the sense that so very often they just don't make the things I want, therefore I just figure out how to make things myself. This making of things has driven Benny crazy for the past 4-5 months while I spend little bits of my extra time working on something or another. It tends to make me a bit crazy by the time Christmas comes but I love how happy everyone is to get something that was done just for them.

The Christmas holiday started with my sister KasiAnne, her husband Mike, Benny and I all having a 'date night.' It was on the 23rd, we all went to the movie "Four Christmases" then went to Red Robin for dinner. This was such a great way to start the Christmas festivities since the four of us all get along so well.

Chrismas Eve we spent with Benny's extended family on his dad's side. We had a nice dinner and even sang some Christmas songs. There are some great voices in that family! Then afterward Benny and I spent the rest of the evening with his mom and dad. The four of us exchanged gifts and went to bed. (BTW...Benny and I got a much needed new Dyson for Pets vacuum, this thing is sweet, and its purple!!)

This morning we got up, had some hot tea and coffee and waited for Benny's sister and brother and their families to come. We had breakfast together then exchanged gifts. We soon needed to rush off to my dad's house where we spent the afternoon exhanging gifts with my dad's side of the family. Once everyone heads home from there, we're off to Mike and KasiAnne's house because my mom has just made it into town from Alabama. So we spend the remainder of the evening with my mom.

Then I look back at the events in the past 24 hours and realize we've just done our own Four Christmases! All in all, a fantastic Christmas. Benny is still at Kasi and Mike's house and I am here at home with my mom. Mom went to bed though since she's still on Alabama time. One thing I am extremely greatful for is the fact that Benny and Mike are becoming such good friends. They get along like they've known each other for their entire lives. Its great, its the one thing that means so much to me since my sister is so important in my life.

The biggest news of the day is that Masynn came to my house to spend the night with Granny and while she was having an evening snack of some hot chocolate and eating Trix Cereal she lost her first tooth. It was a little traumatic for her screaming bloody murder and all, but Granny was here to hold and calm her until Mommy showed up to retrieve her and the tooth. That means Santa last night, Tooth Fairy tonight. YAY!

Oh and for those of you who are wondering...Benny got me the mocha colored Juicy Couture Velour Sweatsuit I was wanting! I love it and am of course wearing it right now along with the beautiful silver earrings he got me.

I hope each and everyone of you had amazing Christmases. I hope your 2009 gets of to a fabulous beginning and that all of the warmest of blessings will be yours. Now I'm off to find out if my boyfriend is ever going to come home from his new best friend's house (aka my sister and brother-in-law's).

Tootle Loo!

Benny's New iPod

One of Benny's friends, a friend he's knowns since high school bought him an iPod for Christmas. Those of you who know Benny well know that he and electronics don't seem to understand each other very well. He's been talking about getting one latley and it was so awesome of his buddy to get him one and to load it with tons of Benny's favorite music.

Then the other night after a day or so of him listening to his new tunes he comes home from work asking about the music I have on my iPod and wants to know if I can put music from mine onto his. Of course! So, we sit down at the computer and I tell him a little about how the whole downloading songs thing works. I just so happen to have a ton of music on my hard drive so I was able to give him tons of new stuff. We even created him a playlist of his favorites.

Last night when he came home from work, he was just so happy to have all of his favorite songs in one place, we then went to Wal-Mart and got him the plastic wrap to keep the face from getting scratched and a rubber case to protect the whole thing. I am excited to see him so happy about the iPod. Its cool that there is at least one piece of electronic technology that he is getting along well with.

FYI- The picture is from the web not a picture I took of his iPod. I am positive he wants me to make sure you all know he would not have a song called Shake Your Pom Pom on his iPod. LOL!

Country Elves

I quite seriously cannot stop laughing!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

'O' Christmas Tree

Benny absolutley loves our Christmas tree. And when I say love I mean it in the deepest of affections. I'm not kidding he comes home from work, gives me a hug, a kiss and leans back against the kichen counter and gazes across the great room and says, 'WOW that's a beautiful tree!' Seriously, he's done this everyday now since I put it up last week.

I agree, it is pretty, and not really what I was expecting knowing that Benny and I would be blending our things. Benny had 4 boxes of Christmas decorations including ornaments and a pre lit 9 foot tree. He hadn't seen most of his things in probably about 6 years or so and I had not seen my things since before Phoenix. So, it was pretty great that his things and mine ended up making such a lovely tree.

I know you probably see the picture and think eh, its just a typical tree. Well, maybe it is just a typical tree, but the most exciting part about it is the fact that its our first tree together. Maybe its because we are both so happy with each other that seeing our ornaments looking so nicely blending together just left us both with a rather warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Plus there's just something about Christmas at home. After 4 years of preparing for Christmas in the 80 degree Phoenix weather its nice to be home and actually smell and feel Christmas coming. (Don't think this means I like cold weather.) It just seems right to get that jolly feeling as you can sense the weather getting cooler and wanting to maybe snow anyday.

As this Christmas draws nearer I thank God everyday for the gifts he's given me throughout my life. This may be a bit of a rough holidays for many of us including myself because of the state of the economy and my difficult year prior to this one, which means its much more important to remember the real meaning of Christmas. Its not about how expensive the gifts are or how many gifts you get, but its about being with the ones you love and who love you. Those are the true gifts of life. Those who cannot find the true meaning of Christmas in their hearts will never find that meaning wrapped up under the tree. Take time to thank God for all he has done for you and for what he has planned for you. Be thankful to him everyday for the things you have and for giving you the means to have that 'O' so beautiful Christmas Tree.