We officially survived our first Christmas celebration of the year, coming out only slightly scathed and a little sore! The eventful weekend included travel problems getting both to and from NE, a broken oven and some slipping and sliding. Fortunately, those were only the low points!
Nate and I flew back to Nebraska this past Thursday to celebrate an early Christmas with my family. We almost didn’t make it, due to a weather-imposed weight-restriction on the flight. After some stress and anxiety, we were allowed onboard, and were able to spend the next three days celebrating with my family. In doing so, I was able to see my grandmas, parents, sisters and their significant others, my nephew and niece, and a few other family members along the way.
We also got to see my mom’s Christmas tree which is bright and stuffed full of ornaments. The kids (both big and small) are always in awe of the tree because it is so pretty. The coolest part is that it spins! It’s fun to just sit in the dark and watch the tree move in front of your eyes. Here is a snapshot, that doesn’t do it much justice (it is much brighter and colorful), but gives you an idea of what it looked like:
Lots of yummy food was eaten, but not without tribulation. My mom’s oven broke while cooking dinner the night before our big Christmas meal. Fortunately, my dad can fix anything (and is an electrician by profession) and was able to rewire it the next morning just in time to start cooking turkey, ham, corn casserole and other yummy foods. Whew!
After our dinner, we opened presents. My niece loved the princess book I made her, my nephew was excited about the game we got him. Nate and I got some fun gifts too, including a Dyson Animal Handheld which I really wanted (we have three furry pets and a wood floor…trust me, we need it!). Seriously, I must be getting old when the gifts at the top of my list include a vacuum and a knife set…ha! Next year, I think I’ll ask for toys instead :)
While I was visiting, I was also reminded of why I left the frozen tundra (otherwise know as a Midwest winter) for the desert warmth, when I stepped out of my sister’s Expedition only to land flat on my back because of ice. It was sort of like you see in the movies, the feet go out until the body is perpendicular to the ground, and then you come crashing down, knocking your breath away. Fun stuff, I tell you. Needless to say, I’m still sore from that one, but I did give my niece and nephew a good laugh.
All in all, it was a wonderful celebration with my family and I’m happy Nate and I were able to make the trip to NE. Next stop, Christmas Eve at our house, celebrating with Nate’s family!
Ps. I have plenty of more photos, but haven’t had time to edit them. You’ll be seeing them soon in the form of scrapbooking projects :)
