Oh, There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays.....aka "The Christmas Post".

It's just not the holiday season until I threaten to call the whole thing off.....

So....I finished the catering gig and it was a success for the 5th year running (even with me changing up the entire menu).  Yes, I made every single cookie, brownie and dessert for the party, serving around 500 people.  Yes, I am available for YOUR catering needs (provided you're in the Northern Virginia area, of course), and I'm not limited to desserts.  I make some pretty awesome appetizers, or so I'm told.

Santa was even at the party! For the record, he slept through the majority of the party, and when people commented on how Santa was so sleepy, I explained that it was crunch time in his workshop. 



Apparently Virginia is downright tropical compared to the North Pole...hence no boots on Santa's little piggies.

 Also, Grandma Pat came all the way from West Virginia to visit with Kris Kringle!

The first thing we did with the money Mommy made from the catering gig was go buy our rapidly growing baby a "big boy" car seat.

We finished our Christmas shopping 2 days before the big day.  To escape reality for a moment, I convinced my Hubby to try out this hurricane simulator at the mall.  It was a total letdown from what I'm told, but the look on his face when he saw that I was snapping a photo was priceless...

We had a bit of a snowstorm the week before Christmas.  That didn't deter us from getting Bobby's first official picture with Santa Claus (the life sized version, not our mini-me).

The night before Christmas Eve, we got together with the Mingee ladies (and Keira) for our annual holiday get-together.  We ended up at Silver Diner and had a lovely time.  Someone was a little tuckered out though...

It's past my bedtime....

He did, however, manage to get a second wind long enough to play with Aunt Cathy for a bit....

After a brief (and I do mean brief) moment of "rest", it was Christmas Eve.  Most people look forward to Christmas Day, but I've always been a X-mas Eve gal myself.  Church, stuffing stockings, lovingly placing wrapped presents beneath the tree, and usually watching "It's a Wonderful Life" while sipping eggnog.  It's when the crescendo is building....

This year Carol was kind enough to give me a much needed break from MY holiday madness by inviting us over to her home for Christmas Eve dinner.  Oh my, it was an epic breakfast feast!  Usually I make Lasagna for Christmas Eve (one of C.W.'s holiday traditions growing up), but after this year I think we're doin' B-fast for Dinner.  We also got to spend some time with the lovely Apricena clan, and Bobby flirted with his lady friend...

"So.....do you come here often?"

  We were the greeters at Church, which was pretty exciting for us.  We're really trying to dive headfirst into our fellowship.

I cannot believe that Christmas has come and gone.  I was up till 4 on Christmas morning.  Doing chores and watching "Meet Me in St. Louis" (mostly watching the movie).  I fell asleep at 3:45 in the recliner in the basement.  I was awakened by my little lamb at 8.  His Daddy was giddier than he was, exclaiming "It's snowing, it's snowing"!  I've not experienced a "white Christmas" since I was around 11 years old, so it was kinda neat that on Bobby's first Christmas, Mother Nature gifted him the stuff of storybooks.

We spent the next couple of hours opening presents.  Bobby made out like a bandit.  Mommy, Daddy and Grammy are suckers for that little face.  The good news is that he was more interested in his presents than what they were wrapped in.  Now I feel justified.

We had quite a spread for dinner: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Carrot Raisin Salad, Green Bean Casserole and Creamy Herbed Vegetables.  Christian's Grandmother joined us for dinner and we were glad to have her.  She got a real kick out of watching her Great Grandson zoom around the house in his walker.  She also spoiled Bobby rotten.  I think she got him 3 outfits, a DVD or 2, 3 stuffed animals and I lost track of how many board books he got.  Suffice it to say we will NEVER run out of reading material....ever.

So far Bobby's favorite toys seem to be his Scout toy and his little driving machine.  He's clocked hours upon hours of playtime the last couple of days.  It's been nice to see him so entertained.

Now we're gearing up for New Year's festivities around here.  Company's coming 2 days in a row.  I go crazy trying to get everything cleaned, cooked and ready, but once our home turns into party central, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I'm also doing all this whilst battling a massive head cold.  More later.  I've got to spend time with my 8 month old.  8 months.  I can't really believe it.