Christmas Weekend Recap

Whew! 

It's Wednesday, and I'm just now getting around to posting our Christmas recap. 

I feel like Christmas was the whole weekend this year, not just one day. 

I think I finished up my wrapping on Christmas Eve Eve

I finally found a good use for our pool table/ping-pong table!

Christmas Eve we started our baking some more baked goods for Christmas Day.

I pretty much stayed in the kitchen all day. 

I did get to watch The Holiday and the Grinch as I baked. 

I made potato soup for the next day 

and peanut butter cookies

and molasses cookies

and apricot filled cookies

 and frozen peanut butter pie

 and more peppermint mocha mini bundt cakes

To my dismay I even watched the end of the Browns' game. 

That is a definite no-no in my family. 

We were waiting until the next day to cheer for our team!!

Christmas Eve was so warm. 

We took a plate of cookies across the street to our neighbors and thought "Wow it doesn't feel like Christmas!"

We went to Christmas Eve candlelight service at my home church, and then we went to Alex's grandma's and my grandma's. 

Christmas morning we were up bright and early to open gifts, and then headed to Alex's parents for breakfast and then my parents for breakfast round 2.

We opened gifts and chatted there, and then headed home to cook. 

As I've mentioned in the blog earlier this season, we decided to host Christmas dinner. 

I grew up in a family that never ran out of food. 

#Never

So, my menu was as follows:

Trail Bologona, Cheese, Crackers

Salami Rollups

Sheaffers's Apple Toffee Dip

Cocoa Dip

Half Ham

2 Pork Tenderloins

Potato Soup

2 Corn Casseroles

Lima Beans

Salad

Cranberry Jello Salad

Fruit Salad

Rolls

2 Lemon Meringue Pies

2 Frozen Peanut Butter Pies

Tons of Cookies

We had 18 people, so I was really anticipating a lot of eating.

But, we had SO SO much food left!

Not one persons touched either of the PB pies, and we had 1.5 of the lemon leftover.

Next year I think I will cut back. 

I think there were too many options. 

A few pictures of our food. 

I didn't get many pictures as we were just too busy. 

I will work on that for next year!

 Everyone got a piece of chocolate that represented them in some way. 

My grandma loves music, so she got a musical note.

My aunt is a beautician, so she got a pair of scissors. 

My dad likes to hunt, so he got a gun.

Everyone got a cute piece of chocolate that represented them. 

Since there were so many people we put up two long tables in our basement and most people ate down there. 

I hopped back and forth, checking the food and all. 

What I didn't realize was that my brother disappeared. 

Honestly, I never caught on because you never know what he might be up to. 

When we came back upstairs and my grandma was going to present her cookie story, they told me to sit on the couch. 

I then saw this

A T-Rex head had replaced my clock!

My brother had been asking what we wanted as a wedding present, but we didn't have anything to tell him. 

So, being him, he threatened to buy us this, and sure enough he bought it and installed it. 

I really wasn't sure of a gift for my cousin, so I got him money and froze it!

He open a box with two cool whip containers of frozen money!!

Christmas evening we hosted dinner, and then were supposed to be up and at Alex's parents for their Christmas at 9 am. 

We didn't make it!

We did swing by Walmart to pick up another gift, and I grabbed some Christmas decorations on sale. 

We spent most of Monday at Alex's parents and ended our day going out for a drink to celebrate my cousin turning 21!

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment and ran errands. 

So, today I'm hoping to get things back to normal.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

On tap for the rest of the week:

Tomorrow: A year in review!

Friday: Friday Favorites and Changes in the New Year!

Have a great day!

If you are as lucky as me, you're still in your pj's and enjoying another relaxing day. 

Today is one of those days that I love the perks of being a teacher! :)