Christmas Festivities in a Nutshell!

Oh What Fun!

I have had a wonderful Christmas and I am so glad it is over.

Paddy Wag - Christmas 2010
So much easier to control her when she was a baby.

Paddy Wag - Christmas 2011.
Wanting to go dashing through mud puddles. 

Thursday: Supposed to be running to the grocery store to pick up ingredients to cook for boyfriend's workers. Ended up chasing Paddy Wag over the bypass, through the cemetery, smelled some flowers by the tombstones, visited with her doggy mommy and brother, went through more yards, crossed another major road, and finally, I saw two mechanics working and I told them that Paddy is my dog and she refuses to come to me.  They whistled at her and she went right to them.  I got her and put her in my vehicle and headed home. Oh my!  Terrible twos really begin at one.  So I got a later start on the shopping and the cooking and the sleeping.

Credit must be given because I sneaked a quick 1-mile run on the treadmill after I put the red velvet cake into the oven. 

Boyfriend's little brother's new puppy.
Ooooh so cute!

Friday: I woke up before the sun did and continued cooking again.  Then, I had to put dishes away and get the company's set up for our Christmas lunch.  When the thing was over, I really wanted to sleep because I had cooked until 2 a.m.  But I needed to run to the store for the last minute Christmas shopping. I made it to the store but had to turn around because the boyfriend's realized that his mom's Christmas Eve dinner was going to be on Christmas Eve's Eve.  Went to that and got some amazing useful presents. Played with puppy and kids. Came home pooped. Played with Paddy Wag. Went to bed.


Saturday:  Slept in. Woke up and wrapped more presents. Delivered presents and got invited to stay for Christmas Eve dinner at my boyfriend's cousin's home.  Since he was at work, I decided to stay and be with family on Christmas Eve. After dinner, we went to church. I had a wonderful time. Came home, wrapped more presents (at this point, I was convinced the wrapping was never ever going to end) and baked a chocolate cake from scratch and made a mashed potato casserole dish for Christmas Day lunch at boyfriend's grandmother's house.
(Below are pictures of my boyfriend's second cousins and their kids opening Christmas presents on the eve.)

Christmas Day: Slept till 9:30 a.m.  Ahhhh... the wonderful joy of not having kids waking you up before the crack of dawn to open presents.  Woke up, finished frosting the chocolate cake and popped the potato casserole back into the oven.  Went to his grandmother's, ate lunch, opened presents, came back to the house and napped till 8:30.  Got up and I stripped the Christmas tree bare and put Christmas back into boxes.  I still have that Christmas Run I got to do.  So I hopped onto the treadmill and did a 5K. I love the convenience of having the treadmill at home and running whenever I want.

Me, getting the run in before Christmas Day is over. 

Christmas 2011 was successful. :)
Hope you had a great one.