Christmas with Family...

Well we had a very blessed and wonderful day this Christmas.  Started the day at 7am, the kids woke us up of course.  Opened presents, they played with all their goodies.  One thing about this is I can say we were blessed this year to be able to afford to do it all on our own.  The last few years, we've needed help from other organizations.  And the fact that we were able to get the kids things they truly did want, I am happy.  I know its not about receiving and my children understand this.  Considering they usually get very minimal anyways.  Just the joy on their faces when they got the big thing they have been asking for all year!

Afterward, I did the unthinkable.....I cooked breakfast!  Haha.  If anyone knows me or the dynamics of my family.  I usually am not the cook for the family.  My husband does the majority of the cooking in our house.  So I cooked the family some cinnamon pancakes, eggs and bacon.  I even managed to get my oldest son to set the table for us all to eat at the table.  It was really nice and I could tell the kids appreciated it.  I think thats something we need to work on in general.  Eating around the table more.  Usually its the kids at the table and us in the living room (well the rooms are open to each other).  I think thats definitely something we'll work on doing more with this new year.  Another good thing is the family loved my breakfast.  I did eat some.  Yes, I managed to eat half of a pancake, one strip of bacon and a small portion of eggs.  Still not measuring.  I admit, I'm giving myself until the end of the year to start anew.

Next stop was my mama's house!  Hubby wanted to lay down after breakfast.....and managed to for about an hour.  While the rest of us were cleaning up and getting ready.  But we all made it out of the house.  It was o nice.  The fact is, this year there have been a lot of family issues!  Some including my sister having problems with drugs, having her children taken from the state and given to my mother.  Not seeing my oldest nephew now that he's hit the big 18 years old and then finding out he's having a baby.  Then my brother and his family moving to the Houston area.  So with all the family things happening this year, I am happy to say that somehow we were blessed to have everyone there.  And it was really nice.  No arguing.  Just love.  I had gifts for all the niece's and nephew's.  They opened their gifts.  I'm glad I was able to do for them as well. 

So after all, Christmas this year was a good ending to a bad year.  I thank you God for giving me this reminder that I am blessed to have my family in all of these other pitfalls of life this past year.  I truly appreciate my family and love them with all of my heart!  I am so happy I had yesterday with them!