Christmas, Part 2

Oh Santa, you were very good to us this year!
Our holiday continued through Sunday (the actual Christmas) and into Monday (Christmas with the Homulaks) so on Tuesday I didn't leave the house. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't leave the couch.
Here are some of the highlights:

The stockings were nearly done at about midnight. The only thing I like about having a fireplace (which mostly just stinks like propane gas when it's lit) is that I can hang the stockings at Christmas. You'll notice Lizzie's pink poodle. Hannah got a black poodle just like it, but for some reason it wasn't in her stocking when I took this picture:

The tree at about midnight, too. It looks like someone was very good this year:

It might have been these two ... at least that's who nearly all the presents were for. Everyone stayed in bed until about 7 a.m., but then it was bedlam for the next five minutes or so:

Hannah wanted a sock monkey hat, so Santa did her one better and added in some sock monkey gloves:

Lizzie was very excited to see that she got a scooter ... and not just ANY scooter, but a PINK scooter. Thanks Aunt Tina. Other gifts included Fijit Friends, iPods, gift cards for mani-pedis, American Girl accessories, perfume maker, craft makers, clothes, candy and games. It was a good haul: 

Vegetarians may want to skip the next couple of photos. Before we knew it, it was time to eat dinner! Rob carefully cut the prime rib:

The feasters prepared to descend upon the vittles. We started with cream of broccoli soup and then had a dinner of prime rib au jus, french bread breadsticks, mashed potatoes, turnip, creamed onion and Christmas green beans (green beans with red peppers). Dessert was plum pudding, cheesecake and/or some of the gazillion cookies we got from people or made:

Cash relaxed in his new sweater while we ate, and he got some of the prime rib, too. His real treat came a few days later though, when we had exhausted most of the meat and Rob gave him the bones. He was a very happy doggie for an evening!

Once we finished dinner we drove out to my friend B's house. She was recovering from surgery, so we decided to bring our feast (and happy selves) to her house for a short visit. The girls had fun, especially since Aunt B now has a cat (named Blackie -- very original) and they had something to do while Aunt B and I gabbed and gabbed.

One of the best presents of all, though was seeing Aunt B looking so good -- with actual pink in her cheeks. Yay!!

The next day we has Rob's family (his mom, siblings, two uncles and an aunt) over for some post-Christmas gift exchanging and eating. Here Grandma Connie watches as the girls open their gifts from Aunt Linda -- they were a Liv doll for Lizzie and a Monster High doll for Hannah. They also got HUGE beanbag chairs for my (eventual) re-design of the basement:

We had some baked ziti, Caesar salad and garlic bread for lunch and then retired to the family room to talk:

Here's Grandma Connie trying to talk Cash out of his chair. (By the way, he's not wearing a muzzle, that's his Gentle Leader which helps him not pull when he's on the leash, but also keeps him calm when we have guests!)

Rob's Uncle Mike had us in hysterics during dinner with stories of his youth:

And so did Uncle Eddie. They had quite the colorful youth with cars and motorcycles and broom-wielding parents:

Here's the whole gang: Sholto, Eddie, Mike, Louise, Linda and Rob in the back row and Grandma Connie and the girls in the front row:

It was really a nice Christmas, but more busy than it's ever been! We hope that all of you had a great Christmas, too. Another 51 weeks and we get to do it all over again!