Wonder

What a wonderful day. 6 hours with the family - 3 out of 4 of the siblings, and not a scratch. Well, except for the last few minutes but we won't count those will we?

I made, well I say I, but really without all the effort and willing hands it wouldn't have happened, a wonderful delicious Christmas dinner. Honey ham, prime rib, sweet potato souffle, green beans with herb dressing, buttery rolls, a garden salad brought by my sister as well as a pumpkin whipped dessert, and wonderful apple pie brought by another sister, and my very own chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Mmmm. All on my Mom's brand new beautiful china.

After dinner the grandkids, nieces and nephews to me, tore into their presents - well, organized chaos, and made out with a stack of loot each. Us big kids waited til' they were done and sent them into the other room to play so we could open our toys. A few little ones wandered back in and *helped*. I got some wonderful pink pants from my sister, the comfy stretchy kind I've been wanting, and some glitter eyeliner from MAC.

But that wasn't the real present. Oh my word could I go on with the list from my hubby?! I guess I will. Let's see...

• In my stocking: 4 charms for my Italian charm bracelet: "Me & You", "#1 Mom", "Love Ya", "Hugs & Kisses". I had wanted some so bad and I'd never seen such cute ones. Also in my stocking: LOTS of underwear . Something I needed sooo bad but just never got around to getting myself. He took care of that and more, tons of different colors, designs, and some really just plain pretty ones. Made me feel like such a woman : ) . A Starbucks gift card with specifically Just for me! written on it by Hubby. And socks, another thing I've been needing but haven't ever taken the time to get myself. Have you seen those ones with the arch support? They really work.

• Why It Meant Something to Me: I never, read, never, get anything in my stocking. Unless I put it there myself, or my MIL puts it there, or I get film when my present is a camera like it was the first year we were married. Not only did he take the time and thought to put together a stocking for me, he did the best stocking ever. He didn't do it all at once either.! I caught him putting the first thing in there, though I didn't see what it was, and I thought okay that's it. But my stocking was packed this morning. And each thing was different and special in it's own way and he did that on purpose too.

• Under the Tree for Me: A wonderful very expensive, gorgeous, silky smooth quart pan and veggie steamer. I know how can metal be silky, but it is. Okay I know you're probably going what the hecks so great about that?! And even Hubby was worried it may be a little presumptious on his part. But I love to cook, and Hubby knows that, and I have never had anything so gorgeous in my kitchen in all my life, and he knows that too. It is absolutely wonderful. I have never wanted to handwash anything. I handwashed this. He also got me a gorgeous skillet to go along with it. Those two things are the things I use most, and often times every day, in my kitchen. He got them both a week or so ago, and I mentioned a couple days ago that I had to throw out the old skillets in the kitchen. I still had two nice ones to work with but two of the bigger ones were so bad they had to go and I wished I had another big one. Then yesterday I mentioned I really wished I had brought my veggie steamer from back home, there isn't one here, and I used it all the time. I used my new one today for the green beans!

• Why those meant something to me: I love to cook. I really, really do. I've said it before and I said it again. That he realizes and appreciates that, not just for his stomach or the boys, but for me means a whole whole lot. It may've been different if he had just gotten a run of the mill pan and skillet, but this was something special, something saying he thinks I deserve something really special for something I really love to do.

• Also Under The Tree for Me: A beautiful garden statue. I have been searching foreverfor a sweet little garden statue with a boy! There are so many with girls, but I wanted a boy, because, well, I have boys. The few boy ones I have seen that have been halfway decent have these ghastly empty eyes. We walked by a florist shop earlier this month and I saw this adorable little boy watering the flowers garden statue through the window. Just what Little Guy loves to do. I oohed and aaahed over it, though I couldn't go in because they were closed. I told Hubby if it doesn't have those horrible eyes I'm getting it. A few days went by and I went in there to look for a birthday cake ornament for Little Guy. I forgot to look for the statue, of course because it wasn't there. And when I called later they said it was gone. I told the lady on the phone when she said they may get another in that I was really really hoping my Hubby had bought it for me. He did. And I love it. And it's gorgeous. And it has beautiful eyes. And it's sitting on my deck right now.

• Why it meant something to me: I have been searching for a statue like that since my garden last year. It means a lot to me that when I saw the perfect one he didn't hesitate, he made sure it had beautiful eyes and wrapped it up.

It was also a great day for the boys, though. Imagine lots and lots of Lego's and put two very sweet boys, one a bit bigger than the other, in the middle of them, and you can imagine their Christmas.

Big Guy's big present was a guitar. He also got a Rudolph stuffed animal that sings Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer from Grandma and he tells me, I have a song. And he puts little Rudolph on the chair next to him and presses the button to make him sing, and pulls out his little guitar and strums along to the tune.

Little Guy had a small bag last night at Oma's house that he had some cars in that she gave him. He had a big bag, too, but he adopted the little bag for his cars and carried it around with him all night long. Tonight he adopted the big bag and dragged that around all night long.

Santa brought them a pirate ship boat for the bathtub that looks so fun Mommy wants to play with it. I can't wait to try it, ahem, I mean for them to try it.

My Mommy's present to me was something I knew I was getting, and a check, and a card that said "We love you and miss you!" Even though we're right here!! She said she was pretending we were gone, as a joke. She's funny like that. I guess since we really haven't been here 4 out of the last 5 Christmas's. It actually made me really sad amidst all the happiness, because more than likely we won't be here for it again next Christmas. And that makes me cry. I hope we do at least Thanksgiving together, I'm liking this too much to have it not be the norm. :( There are disadvantages to living far away from family despite it being possible for you to be who you need to be.

The gift list goes on and on, but I'll stop there. It was a wonderful day, with fun and family. Good food. Good wine. Good dessert. And lots and lots of love.

One more thing, one more last present, thank you Pink Poppy for the beautiful ornament on your Christmas tree. I couldn't imagine a more wonderful Christmas present from you.

And with that I hope that all of you had an equally wonderful Christmas filled with joy and lots of family and love.