Christmas Day

Christmas morning was kind of awesome. Dac and I woke up a little after 7 and just laid in bed for about an hour. We didn't really talk or anything. Just laid there catching up on facebook and blogs. We held hands, looked at each other some, and enjoyed the moment. Normally Christmas is so hectic that we tend to lose sight of the joy and what Christmas is all about. We're aware of that and yet haven't been able to break the cycle of Christmas crazy. This simple little time together was pure magic to us. =)

The four of us sat at the kitchen table and ate leftover sausage balls for breakfast. What more can you ask for? Courtney made some potatoes, we all got ready, loaded up and headed to Courtney's Gran Gran and Papa's house for lunch. There was a big southern spread and we ate ourselves sick. Then, we headed over to Aunt Cindy's for more visiting, eating, a couple sugar coma's, and a nice game of Dirty Santa.

Aunt Cindy and her jumbo hound lap dog Macy. Pretty girls. =)

Dad and Uncle Jerry.

Me and my Boo.

More Sangrias and Aunt Cindy striking her famous pose!

The guys.

Mom and Grandma B.

Dirty Santa. This crowd plays rough... lots of stealing.

Dac ended up with a pigs-in-a-blanket snack maker.

I got the Loaded Questions game and my Dad got himself a fine LSU cap.

I'm still having to wean myself off the sugar slowly. It's an ugly thing coming out of a sugar overdose. Very ugly. We had a great time though and I sure hated to tell everyone goodbye. Thankfully, it sounds like there may be a chance or two for us to get together this coming year... hopefully with the rest of the family that we missed this time around. =) Can't wait!! I love having something to look forward to.

After not sleeping well due to a major sugar-induced belly ache, we got up by 4:30 the next morning to pack up and head back home.

We got home just in time to take a shower and head to Call Christmas. More on that next...

Christmas Eve

I am so glad to be knocking all these Christmas posts out. There's a slew of them - hope you don't get overwhelmed.

Ah. Christmas Eve. My favorite of the Christmas holidays. =) I love it.

We got to sleep in a bit Saturday and just kind of lazed around before getting ready. Courtney wasn't doing as much lazing because she was cooking for the big shin dig that night. She wouldn't let me help. =|

Later, the four of us went to Taco Bell for a light (mine ended up not being quite as light as I'd planned) lunch. It was fun to hang out and not be all rushed and stressed. I also love that Dac and Ry Ry (haha - somehow our family has adopted this pet name for him - even my Dad called him this - hilarious) were able to hang out. They've met and all before but usually when we've gotten together it's been either one or the other or neither of them. This was the first time they were really around each other for a more extended period of time. Courtney and I realize that we can be a bit... much. Yes, that's it. We tend to turn into a couple of rowdy, giggly little girls when we're together. We realize this and we also realize this probably isn't ever going to completely change. Poor boys. At least they had each other this time though... makes for a fairer fights. Ha! Anyway, Dac and Ryan are buddies now and my Boo and I see plenty of long weekends in the four of us' futures. =)

(Quick story: my grandpa, Carl, and grandma B. used to call Dac "Duck" when we were dating. They were just being silly and giving him a hard time. Well, this came up this weekend and Ryan got a kick out of it and kind of chuckled to himself. Dac didn't waist a second before coming back with "ok, Ry Ry!". We all laughed so hard. They're going to get along just fine and they're both great and "easy" additions to the family. Love it.)

Anyway, after Taco Bell we went back to their house to finish getting ready for all the family to come over. Within a few minutes my stomach was killing me. I mean - horrible, horrible pain. At times I thought I might die... or at the very least have food poisoning (which I knew I didn't because Dac and I had the same thing to eat and he was just fine). Apparently my post-surgery stomach just wasn't quite ready to take on the Bell. Lord have mercy... I was tore up from the floor up. A couple hours and a few Pepto pills later... I was decent again... decent enough to eat. =) Gasp.

Courtney and Ryan hosted our side of the family (her mom is my dad's sister) as well as her Dad's side of the family. When we go down there we always spend the holidays together so we know them and all get along, etc... All the food was great, Courtney's house was the perfect venue, and we had a blast.

My mom, Grandma B, and Aunt Cindy. Sorry the picture is dark.

All us girls. =) PS - yes, I sported sweat pants the entire weekend. Don't judge. Also, my mom really wasn't unhappy... just caught her between smiles I guess.

Dad, Jerry Neil, and Uncle Jerry hittin' the beverages already.

See? =)

Courtney made some amazing Sangrias. I didn't think I'd like them b/c I'm not a big wine fan... but about three sips later, I was sold. Oh yeah - we gangsta. It's how we do.

Yea-ah.

Courtney set these rolls out to make brisket sandwiches. She had BBQ sauce too but we all decided mustard would be good so she put that in the little dish attached to the platter. Jerry Neil gave her so much crap about serving mustard and "biscuits". (Karl from Sling Blade liked mustard on biscuits...) It was hilarious. All night we talked about mustard and biscuits. I know it doesn't seem funny but it was. Fer realz.

This is Courtney's Papa and the adorable little rosy-cheeked doll is Hailey. She was convinced Uncle Jerry is Santa Claus. Con-vinced. Oh my word... she was so excited. Cute as can be. He played right into it telling her that his new clippers were to trim his reindeer's feet. Good lawed.

She also got a kick out of Jerry Neil taking funny photo booth pictures all night. Everyone ended up with big ol' box heads or something and she thought it was the best thing ever. Scratch that - the best thing after Santa Claus. Don't let her fool you though - she knew the real reason for the season and wasn't afraid to tell you about it. =)

Us.

Ryan and Court.

Probably laughing at more funny faces.

The pretty tree. =)

Aunt Cindy and I. We had fun. A few sangrias later and there was all this talk about aliens and such. I kid, I kid. I mean, there was... but it wasn't nearly as drunken as it sounds! =)
After we got everything cleaned up (finally I got to help by doing dishes!!) were were tired and went to bed. Santa Claus is comin' pretty soon... =)

Super Girl

I'm going to briefly interrupt our previously scheduled Christmas posts to share a few pictures from Charli's birthday party a while back. It was so cute and the kids ran around having a great time. Cori made each kid their own super hero cape that they could decorate. =)

Here's the birthday girl!! You can see more of her official pictures here.

Here's my Goddaughter Journey and her cousin Ellie playing. Ellie and Charli are like besties. So cute.

Our friend Jamie's little girl. So cute!

Time to decorate! I laughed because Val got stuck at the arts and crafts table... playing with the herpes of the arts and crafts world... glitter. =) She didn't think it was all that funny.

Jamie's other kiddo... he's a hoot.

Charli got fun princess dress up clothes. Here's some of the kids playing ring around the rosie.

Three of the little church buddies. =)

Rainbow cake! =)

It's hard work being a super hero birthday girl princess!!
Ha! Love it. I'm so glad Steve and Cori let us be part of her life and I'm glad all her other family members nicely share her with us! =)

Semi-Cajun Country

A week after surgery I got stupid and decided to take the 10-hour trek down to Louisiana to see some family. Ok, ok, this has been planned for over a year. It probably wasn't smart but I wasn't about to miss the chance to head south. This is where a good deal of my dad's family lives and I haven't spent a Christmas with them since college. Plus, it seems like for the past year we've had to get together for funerals... it was time for a much happier visit! =)

Anyway, we left Thursday morning and made it to my Grandma B's in decent time... it would have been fabulous time had we not been hosed up in Dallas for like 45 minutes. (Side note: I've taken a few road trips with my dad and it never fails... he always says something about being hosed in traffic. My cousin Jerry Neil got to experience Dad's driving last year so ever since we've given him a hard time about this phrase and his mild road rage! ha! He's a good sport though...hey, in this family you have to be able to take what's dished out... 'cuz the dishin' never stops!)

That evening we ate homemade hamburgers and watched the season finale of the X-Factor. I'd never watched it before and Grandma B. was all for Josh (is that his name?) to win. He didn't though and apparently we're sore losers in this family. haha! =)

The next day my mom, dad, and Dac went shopping with my Aunt Cindy. I still wasn't getting around real good and was in a load of pain from the long car ride, so I stayed home with my grandma. Then, she went in to get her hair did and I stayed home then too... being lazy, eating banana bread, and watching SVU reruns. I'm not gonna lie... it was kinda nice.

Later that day Aunt Cindy, Jerry Neil, and.... wait for it... MY BOO (cousin Courtney who's more like a sister than a cousin...only better I guess... b/c there's never any fighting!) came over. YEAH! Everyone was on their iPads and phones (so much so that my grandma decided she needed an iPad stat... and she got one... ha!).

Dad and Dac

Grandma B. and JuJu.

Grandma B. got me started on hot chocolate with tons of cool whip when I was little. Add some milk and it's even more divine. Yum!

We ate a delicious spaghetti dinner and got caught up. Mom, Grandma B, Boo, Aunt Cindy.

Jerry Neil. He used to be dubbed the Grinch when we were younger. He's cheered up since then though, ha! =)

An apparently sleepy Dac and I. =)
It was a great night of quality family time then Dac and I were off to stay with Courtney and her husband Ryan at their new house. Oh. My. Word... it's gorgeous! SO nice. I love that they got such a great place AND that I have a room there. =) After the grand tour we stayed up chatting before resting up for another awesome day.

Christmas #1

A couple days after surgery Dac's immediate family came over for our Christmas get-together (we had it early because Dac and I were going to be out of town for actual Christmas). We always have a fun time and the past several years we've done cuisine-themed events (we've had Hawaiian, Cajun, Cruise-themed food and drinks, etc...) to change things up and keep it different than all the other holiday food.

This year we had Italian. I feel so bad that I couldn't help with the meal (or anything for that matter... sorry guys!) Val was a trooper and took on the meal although I know others made some things too. We had a delicious lasagna bake and a chicken/shrimp alfredo dish. Plus there was salad, bread, a veggie tray... etc... It was so good.

I think we all made out like bandits... here's the pile of gifts. We're all so spoiled. We do stockings too and Terese (I mean Santa) always gets us socks and underwear. I always get some Burt's Bees too. =)

Charli and Val. I was still kind of loopy this day and I don't feel like I really got to talk to anyone very much. Kind of a bummer. Aren't they cute?

Dac. =) We had Christmas at our house this year since I had just had surgery. We set up extra bag chairs.

Grandma Jo. Austin's in the background being awesome and doing dishes.

He loves getting his picture taken.

Cori kept a still puffy-me company. We like to sit real close to one another. So what!? =)

Steve and Char. I think this is a good picture of them. =) Two smiles even!!

Opening gifts. Dac's messing with our new Shark steam mop. Don't look at my messy laundry closet! That's Dac's dad in the blue.

Charli trying on Steve's special new elf undies. =)
Peety opening his gift...
A dog bone! Peety doesn't really get all that excited about toys anymore.

So that was that. We ate. We talked. We laughed. Probably picked on one another... you know, the usual. I'm so happy to be part of this crazy family.