Home for Christmas

We had an unusual first in our 10 1/2 yrs of marriage this year - we stayed home for the holidays.  All of them.  Hard to believe, but we have never once been in our home for Christmas.  We have always been able to celebrate with family, but this year we had decided to stay close to home when DH tore his Achilles, and it ended up being absolutely delightful! 

A few things we enjoyed:

• A visit from Nancy, Clint, and "Baby DAbid" as Miss M likes to call him for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• A visit from Santa Claus - he got a bit carried away, we think, but I've heard he's apt to do that
• A visit from the cold/cough fairies - they enjoyed time with Miss M and Baby S and now the rest of us are hoping they stay far far away
• A yummy Christmas dinner with fun family and close friends - 28 people at ONE dining room table!  Go Sarah!
• A trip to the Crayola Factory and Canal Museum
• A New Year's Eve celebration with super great friends playing Reverse Charades (I'll never talk about the Ten Commandments again without thinking of Rob's flubbing of it) and Dance Central on the Kinect, and eating eating eating!
• Miss M's renewed passion to say all of the prayers - which she starts by saying "Dear Harry Potter" - because that's how she says "Heavenly Father."  I smile every time.
• Our "live" Christmas Eve nativity - complete with a great Joseph (Mr. A), a large Baby Jesus (Baby S), a heavenly angel (Baby David), and a standing Mary (Miss M) because, just as she entered "Bethlehem" and was instructed to sit down, "Got poop" - all caught on video camera.
• Miss M's explanations for why she does something - "Pa-cuz" instead of because.
• Taking Mr. A to black-light mini-golf and the arcade (thanks, Groupon) as entertainment one afternoon
• Making homemade cinnamon rolls 
• After-Christmas decoration bargain hunting/shopping
• Watching the Rose Parade on tv and eating our donuts (even if we couldn't be there in person)
• Spending time together as a family

In 2011 we have much to look forward to - a healed Achilles tendon, a newborn becoming a toddler, my first "baby" becoming a Kindergartner, Miss M starting preschool, many fun memories to be made, visits with family, my baby brother's wedding, and figuring out what life as we know it should really be!  It'll be a great one. 

Goodbye, 2010.  You brought us our sweet Baby S, our Mr. A's tubes in his ears, a wonderful 10 yr anniversary trip to Hawaii, a fantastic 2 weeks at the beautiful S. Carolina coast, 2 crutches, a cast, some reminders that we're not as young as we think we are, and developed patience and growth.  Thanks a bunch!