Our 2011 Christmas Story

We had a topsy-turvy Christmas this year.  We went home to Florida, as usual.  We made the trip down in our new car, and the most notable incident was that our touch-screen console went down for several hours, taking the radio with it.  Once we realized that we'd have to wait until we stopped to try restarting the car to get the system to reboot, Brandon looked at me and said, "Great, now we're actually going to have to talk to each other!" and I laughed.

Our first few days there were uneventful.  We spent our time with his parents mostly, since my dad was taking care of my ill grandmother, who wasn't up for company, and my mom was busy fulfilling other familial duties, including being with my other ill grandmother at the hospital.  (We did make it over there for a couple hours a couple of times during those first days, but I forgot the camera both times.) 

We went to Merritt Island to take the girls to see Santa, and got lunch at the Hooter's across the way.

The girls and I went with Mom and Wade to see my step brother and his family.

We celebrated Christmas with the Gager's on Christmas Eve.  The girls, of course, got the bulk of the gifts, but there were also original paintings by Elora, and fridge magnets that Elora and I painted together for Papa and Gigi, and Aunt Carrie and Uncle Jamie; Staria and Carrie got purse-and-pouch sets, to be posted later.  

I really made out.  In addition to the One Yard Wonders book, I also got a really nice cast iron skillet, a set of Pyrex bakeware, and a set of tupperware, and a gift card toward the steam mop that I've been lusting after.

We had lots of plans for the next day, but a really nasty stomach bug hit Staria, Carrie and Elora that evening and all three were sick all night, while Jimmy, James and Brandon stayed up all night to take care of them.  We scrubbed going to Mass and and to Orlando, but went ahead to my mom's in the evening on Christmas Day, to see my mom's side of the family.

Shortly before we left my mom's house, Brandon started feeling sick.  When we got back to the Gager's, we discovered that James and Jimmy were right there with him, and so began round 2 of the stomach bug.  (Mercifully, Kaylie and I continued to be well, and everyone at my mom's house had already had it, or never got it.)  It was the 28th before we were able to make it to see my dad and grandmother.  We almost didn't go, because by that time, we'd started coming down with a cold, but Grandma said to come on, she'd take her chances with it.  I'm glad she did; if we'd waited for us all to be healthy we'd have never seen her.  It's always so good to see her, and I'm increasingly grateful for every year that she's still with us.

It was a good Christmas, even if things were crazy and everyone did get sick.  We got to be together, and see our family, and so it was good.   I hope you all had wonderful Christmases, preferably without the germs!!