Enjoying Our Christmas Celebration

Good morning, it's the 3rd day after our Christmas morning and all the preparations, gift buying, food prep and everything that goes with celebrating this season is now past for another year and the clean up is getting ready to happen.

We enjoyed a wonderful day together.  The day started particularly early when Hannah popped into our room at 1 a.m. happily declaring "Santa's been here!!".  I got up and looked with her and said "Yes, I'm glad, but it's too early to have Christmas morning right now. Go back to bed".  She did and around 5:45 when I got up she was fast asleep along with everyone else, including Bea who is in the pictures I took before anyone came out to see their gifts.

The girls gifts and stockings are on the couch, Bea fast asleep in the lounge chair, Santa's cookies and eggnog are gone along with the carrots for his reindeer.  The tree still full of presents, just waiting for everyone to get up.

Kevin got up with some help from me, and he was fortified with a cup of coffee.  Then Cameron was called in so he could see his sister's as they came out to see all Santa had brought them. Hannah was the first out, then Lauren came out still a bit bleary eyed after Hannah woke her up.  Both quickly came alive as they checked out their Christmas piles.

Hannah's up with a smile and wave, Lauren's not quite awake, but has a big grin, both girls checking out their piles.

Lauren is thrilled with her Darth Vader Doll she had on her list,  Cameron getting some help from Bear and Bea

It's time for Kevin and I to look through our stockings, again the dogs have to be part of this.

Hannah with her new Nerf Bow, the mess as everything is being opened.

After everything is opened.

Cameron was thrilled with his Santa treasures, and now it was time to open the gifts under the tree. We enjoyed seeing the many things everyone had chosen for each other and carefully wrapped and placed under the tree.  The handmade gifts from the girls were really special.

Grandma and Poppie stopped over a little before 11am and spent some time visiting and we opened a few more gifts together.  Then it was time to Facetime with Amber and Eddie, to wish them a Merry Christmas and catch up on all they'd been doing.

Cameron's gift from Grandma and Poppie

Lauren's new robe

Grandma and Poppie visiting

Hannah's new robe

Time to Facetime with Amber and Eddie

We spent the rest of the day eating, enjoying our gifts and watching a couple of the movies that were part of our treasures.

Tree after, no more presents

It was a wonderful day, and all too soon it was over.  It's so weird with all the build up when it's now behind you.  So we prepare for a new year to start soon, enjoy the remainder of Cameron's time off from school and the girls are busy playing with their new toys.  We had a slight blip in this whole wonderful scenario yesterday morning when Hannah woke me up to say that Lauren's urine was "a funny color, it's all pink".  I try to watch Lauren's diet to keep her healthy and in the almost 4 years she's been with us we've been really successful at this.   Perhaps with a lot more of the Christmas goodies the balance in her system got off a bit and Kevin had to take her to the ER where she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.  The doctors and nurses at the hospital were really nice, and made Lauren feel comfortable.  There are a lot of unpleasant memories for her associated with procedures from past kidney and bladder problems she's had, so she was clearly scared as they headed into the hospital.  She's already feeling and doing much better with the medication they have her on and as she clears, we'll have to be more vigilant again with diet and vitamin intake.

So for now we'll enjoy a few days of peace and quiet before it's time to start removing all the decorations, and returning to life as usual.  Hope this Christmas found everyone happy and healthy and we send our greetings and pray God's blessings for you in the coming new year.