A small but happy Christmas

I know they say that Christmas is not about the gifts but I was hoping that we could at least get the kids what they REALLY wanted for Christmas this year. That happened thanks to hubby saving and some help from a “secret Santa.” December has been a pretty tight month this year financially, so I was worried that we would have some trouble getting Christmas presents. But, thankfully, we were able to pull off another nice Christmas this year. I was able to send a few Christmas gifts to siblings thanks to credit, and the best part is, we all got everything we wanted. I actually got a surprise gift, too!

 

Christmas morning started out really peaceful, as it should. I woke up early and the kids slept in, so I was able to add extra stocking stuffers to everyone’s stockings. (Up until Christmas Day, everybody kept peeking in their stockings! For this reason, I waited until Christmas Day to add my own gifts – movies and gift cards – to the stockings.) I also spent this “alone time” relaxing with a first cup of coffee and just basking in the beauty of the Christmas morn. (And feeling a little excited about the pending holiday cheer. I kept imagining the smiles on my little ones’ faces when they opened their gifts!)

 

Finally, the children woke up and, of course, they immediately proceeded to wake up their dad so we could all get started with the presents. After hubby got coffee and settled down, we decided Jennifer would play Santa this year so she started handing out gifts.

And, like I said, we all got what we wanted. Jennifer got the scooter she’s been asking for for years – and Jesse got a scooter, too! I got the book and candle I had asked for – of course, I had “books” on my Christmas list and I’ll be able to get more than one as a gift because I also got a gift card to the bookstore! Yay! Hubby got books, too (the kids each got him one and he also got a bookstore gift card) and Jesse got the Lightning McQueen car he had his heart set on. I also got a very cute essay that Jennifer wrote about family and Christmas (her dad and I both read it and it just made my heart melt) and Jennifer also got the book she wanted to buy earlier this year but didn’t have enough money for: Dork Diaries #4. She was THRILLED to get that book! (She also has #5; her dad got her that one earlier this year.)

And Jesse got a book, too: His very own copy of my new children’s book, A Million Doughnuts, which I had dedicated to him. Once Jennifer saw it, she started showing Jesse her illustrations in it. It was so cute!

And I think he liked the pictures of the doughnuts best. Ha!

Chewie got a new dog bed, as well as two dog toys. He didn’t like his new bed at first but I think that is starting to change. In fact, he now prefers the new dog bed over the one I keep for him in my bedroom!

Oh, yes. I did get a surprise gift. It was a surprise because I had secretly wanted one for so long but kept telling hubby, “Oh, no. I don’t need that.” But he got it, anyway: AN ANDROID!! Woo-hoo! I can’t believe it! I have a smartphone! Yay!!

The phone I have now is on its way to the great big cell phone heaven in the sky so he knew I needed a new phone. I didn’t say anything because I know they cost a bit. I am glad he got me one. I didn’t expect a smartphone, just a regular phone like I have now. So that was a very big surprise. Now I just need to figure out how to use it.

And Jennifer has taken over what is now my “old phone” until it conks out. I hope this will show her what it’s like to have her own phone and I hope she will learn how to be responsible with it. (She has had her own house key before, but she lost both keys we gave to her!) We DO want her to be responsible and we DO want her to be able to reach us in emergencies, but it’s a work-in-progress.

Here are a bunch of pictures I took from Christmas. The dog’s name is Chewbacca (we call him Chewie). There’s also a pic of the gingerbread men the kids and me baked.

Happy holidays!