Wow. Crazy Holiday
Happenings. We’ve been non-stop celebrating Abi’s birthday and now Christmas
since I posted 2 weeks ago… AND we’re still
smack dab in the middle of it. Celebrations ‘round these parts last a long
time… as they should.
The McConnell clan is here
taking over the block (like last
year) and as I type this, the coffee is brewing and family members are slowly
starting to wander in for their morning cup o’ joe… This grand holiday finale
(5 days with the McConnell clan) is always one rowdy/awesome way to roll
towards the New Year and if we’re lucky, the cops will be called again before
everyone heads home
J
Good times. Good times.
Anyhow, the last two weeks have been awesome, busy, exciting,
relaxing, and crazy. Two days before
Abi’s birthday, my mom’s family had a birthday/Christmas celebration at our
house. They made it very clear before
they came that my only job was to open my front door. I didn’t have to make anything…clean
anything… nothing. So at 11am they all
showed up in a van, complete with gifts, chili, awesome sides, apple cider, my
grandmother’s sweat tea, and a birthday cake!
We did Abiella’s birthday party and then we celebrated Christmas. It was awesome.
The next morning we had a celebration with my dad, stepmom,
and little sister. They showed up
bearing birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, and a huge bag of Panera
goodness.
Want to know how to make a new
mama happy? Bring her a box full of flavored
bagels with 3 tubs of different kinds of cream cheese to munch on throughout
the week. Thanks family!!! What a
perfect celebration!
The next day, Sean and I celebrated Abi’s birthday with a small
party at the house. And by small, I mean
the three of us. Me, Abi, and Sean. It was simple and fun and perfect.
The next day Sean left for the week and Abi and I ventured
to a physical therapy appointment, worked on
Christmas gifts, totally redecorated our living room (Thanks to my friend,
Hannah. Thanks Hannah!!! – more on that
to come) and visited with lots of friends. Over the course of the week I had Abi's prescriptions, items from Walgreens, subs, pizza, gifts and groceries delivered to my house. Good grief I've got some good folks in my life.
A few days later the Christmas festivities geared back up
and we’ve been going strong ever since.
My mom came and picked me and Abi up and we drove to the mountain where
we were greeted with a fire, a holiday concert special on tv, and delicious
beef stew. Abiella LOVED IT. From the second we arrived she was smiling…
she loved looking around the house, sleeping in her crib, being held by the
fire… she was in heaven.
The next day Sean flew into town and met us on the
mountain. We had an amazing Christmas
feast, sat by the fire, and enjoyed reeeellllaxxxxiiiinnngggg….
When it looks
like this outside...
You want it to look like this inside…
And you definitely want to be wearing these.
The next morning we did “Christmas morning”
and Abiella loved listening to the presents being opened around her and all the
commotion. She got a million AMAZING
presents and so did Sean and I. My mom
really (per usual) outdid herself on the gifts… One of which is a date night
out for Sean and I, complete with gift cards to my favorite Mexican restaurant
and local ice cream shop… AND a free babysitter.(My mom.) Considering I haven’t been inside a restaurant
since SEPTEMBER this was a HUGE gift. (FYI- in my previous life I ate at
restaurants at least 3 times a week.)
Another gift was "the letter"... an amazing gift I will have to save for its very own post...After gifts, we had a Christmas breakfast (including my mama’s
homemade biscuits) and then we packed up and hit the road. McConnell’s were in
transit and our next holiday sha-bang was about to begin.
When we got home, Uncle James (as in Abi’s uncle… Sean’s
brother) arrived. It was a great
Christmas Eve with the 4 of us. Too much fun.
The next morning we read the Christmas story and opened Abi's 3 gifts from us...
Then more McConnell’s started arriving…
and then the next day more arrived…
and then the next day
more arrived…
and we’ve been living up the Christmas goodness ever since. Mom’s been cooking like crazy… pancakes every
morning, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant lasagna, beef stew, the list goes on…
there’s been hours of games played, lots of music, and really, REALLY great
gifts. Including these t-shirts from our
grandmother that all say, “Because I’m Abiella’s ____ That’s why” (Fill in the
blank with uncle, daddy, mommy, aunt, etc.)
I have to admit, we all opened these shirts at the same time and it took
me about 20 minutes to recover. I just couldn't quit crying. So much love.
The holidays are still here and I miss them already. Don't you hate that feeling?
 |
| Abiella receiving her official stocking made by none other than the one and only Nana Baa. |
In the middle of these days my little sister TURNED 13!!!!!!!! Her birthday gathering got iced-out (crazy weather) but I CAN’T WAIT to have a good time with her celebrating her awesome self.
Speaking of weather, Abiella got to see her first snow this week…
So cozy and so special.
Soooooo here I am
about to drink my second cup of coffee, Sean’s holding Abi on the couch with
Uncle Ben and Crazy Aunt Moo Moo… The Muppets are on TV, the pancakes have
been eaten, and life is good.
I’ll take it.
Very thankful.
