Merry Christmas

I hope this blog finds you ending Christmas with the best feeling, many great memories and happy children :0)

I go crazy at Christmas. I love buying gifts. I love the anticipation, the wrapping, the buying and returning, I love it ALL. It's so crazy how my mind works. I look so forward to the big day and giving things away but the closer it gets the sadder I get. I am not even sure that sad is the right word. I just don't ever want it to come and go as quickly as it does. It's bittersweet - maybe that's the word. I am happy it is here and am so sad to see it end. (And not to mention the lingering effects - like the trash and finding places for all the new fun stuff, which always leads to some rearranging in each room.)

The past two days have been crazy busy. Enjoy the Christmas journey with me. (I will be honest right now and tell you that this blog is meant more for personal journaling. If you are willing to read the boring details, I will be happy for you to. If not, at least enjoy the pictures.)

Christmas Eve

Davis family Christmas at our house

9am-12pm

The morning starts off with a mad rush to get the house clean, the laundry finished and put away, the dressing and ham cooked and the children calmed down. Noon seems like forever to them and how the time does fly for the grown-ups and their major to do lists. The morning sun is beautiful and all but it makes for some serious sweeping and steam mopping with the concrete floors. From ten to twelve every morning the sun shines right through all the windows making the dust sparkle, gleam and impossible to get it all. I swept my heart out and it's probably the reason I am aching so bad today. Weak, I know. Toilets clean: check. Upstairs cleaned and vacummed: check. Ashlyn's bedroom: check. My room and bathroom: will get to last. Kitchen clean and dishwasher running: check. Laundry done: no but it can remain in washer and dryer until this evening. Ashlyn's play room: hopeless, close door. Jared decided that this was the time to wash all windows inside and out. Hmmph. Please keep in mind that during the cleaning spree there are three children who need showers, clothes picked out and hair done and I still need to shower and get ready before the company at noon.

NOON

If there is one thing I have learned over the 14 years that I have been a part of the Davis family, they are usually fashionably late. I am not saying one thing bad about this. It helped me more than ever today. Because at noon I was in the kitchen making the final meal preparations and making it look Christmasy. Around twelve thirty our special guests started arriving. Jessica first. Mamaw, Pawpaw and Uncle Craig next. Nana and Pop. Aunt Patty. The gang is all here and so is the lunch. We had a good time eating and visiting. They even make cleaning up fun. Someone is always laughing - I love it. After lunch Nana gave the kids their stockings and later it was time for gifts. Clayson got an RC vehicle, a guitar, bed pillow with camo blanket and art stuff. Trey got an RC vehicle, electric drums, bed pillow with fishing blanket and art stuff. Together they got a ping-pong table (keep reading to find out how this turned our rustic home redneck). Ashlyn got real pearls, a book, a rocking chair and an art table. Satisfaction guaranteed. I spent an hour cleaning lunch and cleaning from gifts. When things settled down (an hour later) we did our annual Chinese gift exchange with men and women gifts. This is always a lot of fun. More to clean. Then, it was time for project completion. The art table was assembled by Pop and the rest of the boys put together the ping-pong table that now sits where a dining room table should be - in the dining room. Yes folks, we have gone redneck. All I need is an oblong tablecloth and some chairs to go around it. Very versatile. (Tonight it serves the sole purpose of holding all the gifts from the day to be sorted and put away tomorrow.) And the paddles, well they may be multi-functional as well :0) Back to my story, after all the excitement settled a bit some enjoyed the Polar Express, some played ping-pong, some crafted with Ashlyn and I cleaned. I was still okay with it. I was surrounded by people I love. We had a fabulous day with Jared's family and were sad to see them go at the end of the evening.

Christmas Eve evening

just the five of us getting ready for Santa

9:30 p.m.
Since Jared had to work today, the kids talked us into opening one gift last night. So, we told them to choose the smallest - which turned out to be the same for all three of them. Perfect. I have gotten into a form of digital scrapbooking and created them all an album featuring themselves. Trey was okay with it. Ashlyn was pumped. Clayson less than enthused. A short gripe session followed just to be certain that he showed gratitude and was appreciative. And then they talked us into a second gift - this would be good practice for Clayson to show he had a better attitude. Trey opened brown pants with a camo belt, Clayson two pair of jeans (which I thought he was going to cry in excitment- for real, see for yourself) and Ashlyn got some boots with the fur. All was well with the children. We gathered up some yummy cookies for Santa - made by our good friend Jennifer and Anna - and Ashlyn wrote a note to leave with the cookies and milk. The night was ending and it was time to get in bed so Santa would be sure to stop. Here are some pictures of our small family gathering on Christmas Eve.

the books

daddy and Trey enjoying Trey's special book

I told you he was excited!

Cookies and milk for Santa Claus.

"All of us have been good 'cept Clayson"

Maybe Santa has seen him on his better days. I'll leave you wondering for now. I have got to get to sleep. These festivities have worn me out and I love this happy exhaustion. Please stay tuned for the rest of the story.

For now, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.