Our flights from Phoenix to Pittsburgh were ideal this year. We were delayed about an hour getting out of Phoenix due to the weather in Denver. Some great people watching near the security checkpoint - hard to realize how many people still haven't gotten the memo that you can't take entire jugs of lotion and shampoo onto the plane. No lost luggage, lines were not too long, and lots of time to read and knit.Not a white Christmas this year in Ohio, but there was a nice frost on the morning we left. My dad has redone the front walkway into our house and it was beautiful. And it was our first Christmas with Stella, the new center of the family. She is a pretty puppy.
As usual, my parents gave us the perfect Christmas. For those of you who don't know, my family has a tradition that "As long as you believe in Santa you still receive gifts from Santa." And I must have been a very good girl this year. I got a new fun Canon digital camera - a cute little one just like Kelly and my sister Tyler have. So you can expect fun new photos on the blog. We all love to over-do on gifts and I know I inherited this from my mom. Also Ben got me a beautiful saphire ring.
My family has Christmas foods - things we eat at Christmas every year that we never eat other times. Tyler makes her ChexMix and bean dip. Dad makes his special fudge and CCs (Christmas Cookies with icing). Mom makes American Pizzas and her new roast beef sandwiches and lots of other dips. We gorged on delicious food all week and I know I gained 10 pounds. Good thing I got that pedometer for Christmas.
We have done the same exact thing for Christmas every year of my life. Christmas Eve with the McPhees and Christmas morning at our house then dinner at the farm. My family is so much fun and I love our traditions. I know that the next 5 years will bring lots of changes in our family. Mom and Dad will probably retire and potentially move somewhere warmer. Tyler may move somewhere to be with Kevin after he graduates. I'm not sure how many more years I can talk Ben into flying over the holidays. I am persuasive so far! Our traditions will probably have to change. And so we treasure them even more knowing that they will not go on forever.
2 comments:
Heeheehee: love the family photo of mom and dad!
Enjoy your new Canon: the only thing that I don't absolutely love about mine is the shutter speed--I'm learning that kids move faster than the shutter.
Sounds like the perfect family Christmas. I especially like the part of how you guys "over-do" gifts. Not to throw my family under the bus, but my cousin had this strict "no over-doing gifts for kids" this year. We were only allowed to bring one gift for one child because she thought the kids missed the meaning of Christmas and were unappreciative of too many gifts. I totally disagree and spoiled Tanner with tons of gifts for which I did not require him to be thankful for, but rather I just let him enjoy an indulgent overflow of underserved toys and a totally exorbitant amount of games and sports stuff. I figured that this type of "overmuch" will all too soon end for him when he becomes an adult - unless...I take example from your family and never stop this! I love it!
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