Very Merry, Full of Surprises!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

It has been so crazy around here that I have barely missed blogging.

Barely.

I did have to contain myself from not sitting right down and blogging once I opened this gift from my hubby.

It was a total surprise! I did not think that he would ever purchase something that would actually encourage me to spend more time at the computer but he said that he wanted me to be comfortable. What a sweetie.  It is a very soft leather comfy chair (and not nearly as red as it looks in that picture) and now I don't have to use one my dining room chairs.   He also surprised me with a new Kuerig coffee maker that I've been wanting for about 3 years.  He seriously spoke my language this Christmas - coffee and computer.

He also got himself the family me the Wii Fit. My brother was here and told my hubby that he was a brave man for giving his wife anything that inferred her needing to exercise.

The kids were delighted with Legos, books, DS games and plenty of goodies from Justice.  Seriously, I should own stock in that store.   Much of my Christmas budget went there this year for my daughter and niece. 

 

 

You can see the dog sticking his nose in on all the fun.  It was his first Christmas!  I have never seen a dog so excited about opening gifts.  When it was his turn, he actually mouthed the wrapping paper as I unwrapped it for him and then would VERY happily run off with his newest toy and swiftly destoy it.   In three days, he has managed to eat or tear apart all of his new toys and Buddy's toys.    

My hubby loved his gift of a golf GPS - you can see his not so surprised face here.

I did not do too well in the surprise department for him this year.  He pretty much got exactly what he wanted and he should - he works so hard for the rest of us.

I did manage to pull off one very big surprise for my mother, though.   My brother called a couple weeks ago to let me know that he would have a couple days off after Christmas.  This is no small feat considering he is a manager for Wal-Mart.  Since December 26 is the busiest return day of the year for retailers, he always has to work.  For the last 7 years, we have not been able to spend Christmas with him.   When he was single, it was really hard because he was often alone.   Anyway, I have not seen him since he got married a year and a half ago!   It's been a year since my mom has seen him and he wanted to surprise her on Christmas morning.    Have I ever told you how terrible I am at lying?  Keeping secrets is soooo hard for me!    I almost always give something away.   But I didn't give it away this time!  Or at least nobody had let on that I did. 

When he got off of work on Christmas Eve, he and his little family piled in their car and made the 6 hour drive from Atlanta to Raleigh.  They got here in the middle of the night and caught a few hours of sleep.  My mom loves to come over first thing on Christmas morning and watch the kids open their presents.  So, we had my brother stand in the kitchen with his wife and kids.   My mom came in and sat on our couch in the family room to watch my kids open gifts.  Then she looked over into the kitchen and for just a minute, I really thought she was having a heart attack.   I'm not kidding, she did not breathe for a full 10 seconds.  And then she realized that my brother was real and in fact standing in my kitchen!   Needless to say, she jumped up, ran to him, embraced him (my little brother - HA!) and cried for the next 5 minutes.   She said it was her best Christmas ever! 

The only thing that broke it all up was my patient little 5 year old son who said, "Can we get back to opening presents, please?!?!?"   

 After it was all over in 8.5 minutes, my ever sweet daughter looked over the pile of gifts and family everywhere and simply said - "We are very blessed, Mommy."

Indeed, we are.

How was your holiday?  Did you blog about it?  I'd love to read about your special memories!