and to all a good night!

Merry Christmas to all! We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Merks.  We relaxed during the afternoon, Ann made a delicious turkey with an apple cider gravy YUM! and then we went to Wesley for church.  Ann and Jim sang beautifully in the choir and played a wonderful song on the handbells.  It was a touching service and I felt that there was nowhere else I'd rather be than to be sitting in church with my hubby, thanking God for our abundant blessings.  Later that night, we went to the Lindgrens for a lovely little party.  Kyle, Alisha and the Stro-Jo gang came and we had a fantastic time.  We left to an early Christmas present that we didn't expect...a flat tire at 11:30pm in the dark, cold, rainy snow! YUCK!  Thankfully, our knights in shining armor (Bruce and Jim) braved the elements to help Dan change the tire.  What gentlemen!  Also, Santa Peter came through (he takes such good care of us) and gave us 4 new awesome all terrain tires in our stocking so we could brave today's blizzard.  Thank you, Uncky!

Our family pic! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day we opened presents and ate yummy sticky buns!  Ann and Jim got me the cutest little Build-a-Bear owl dressed up as a nurse.  It is precious and I'm hoping this little hooty will bring me good luck this quarter!  Then we went over to Mom's house to see Grams.  We aren't celebrating our Christmas until New Year's Day because Matt and Dee are on a Caribbean Island hopping cruise (stinkers!) and we wouldn't think of celebrating without them!!!  I will post those pics next week.  We had fun with Grams though.  I did her makeup, put her eyebrows on and some rouge.  She opened her mound of gifts including socks, lotion and jeans with an elastic waistband (my mom threatened us to never put her in those when she gets old :)  Here's a few great pics with Grams and of course, baby.

Isn't she precious?!?!

With her hoody up, she looks like the Virgin Mary and baby!!! :)

A few silly pics of Dan and me, digging into some sausage and cheese (I didn't really eat it, processed meat in plastic tubeys is not my thing normally :)

We are smiling because Mom made us some kick ass Chicken Parm and we LOVED it, as always.
I hope I can cook like her someday!

The sausage came in Santa pants, yum! :)

Where's my chicken parm?!?!?!

Merry Christmas to all! We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends.  Health and peace to all this holiday!