Like posted earlier, we started out our Christmas in Chicago. Once we got home, I was in full cooking and baking mode. I decided to make a baked ham with sweet holiday glaze and dozens of cookies to pass out to family, coworkers, and friends.
Yummy Ham
Making cookies
Covered in flour
COOKIES!
This year was a little different as we decided to camp out in front of our tree on Christmas Eve. We made hot cocoa, used our awesome moose Christmas mugs, put every blanket and pillow in the house on the living room floor, and turned on "It's a Wonderful Life" -- a Christmas movie that I had never seen before (shocker, I know). I passed out within twenty minutes of it being on, but the new "camp out in front of the tree tradition" is definitely a keeper.
Like every year, we went to Grandma Holtz in Edgerton and celebrated with Matt's mom's side of the family. There were hundreds of laughs, a white elephant exchange, ten dollar gift exchange, Secret Santa, and the old beloved Wright's Family Christmas Game (which is the gift passing game for those who've never played). Lots of yummy food and wassel coupled with Grandma's awesome knitted gifts made our Christmas Eve as special as the past.
Cuddles with Ernie
Lulu chasing a laser
My beauties
Ornament gifts from Santa Claus
This year, I made it my mission to old man-ify my Babyface Fennel. After all, it was his 30th celebration just earlier in the month and I figured was a better time than ever.
How to old man-ify your husband:
Buy him a robe
Buy him slippers
Buy him flannel pjs
Buy him a smoking pipe
Buy him overly expensive whisky
The cherry on top:
A blue coffee mug for whisky. For the future Christmas mornings -- so our future, little Fennels wont know Daddy is drinking whisky.
^ This is something that Grandpa Fennel (who recently passed away) did every single Christmas. While Matt's dad was younger, his brother, sisters and him always thought their Dad was drinking coffee in his infamous blue mug on Christmas morning. It wasn't until years later (as adults) that they learned that the blue mug never had coffee it in. Just some of his ol' cough syrup to keep him warm on a cold, Christmas morning.
Matt knew exactly what I meant by buying him a blue mug and I truly think it was his favorite gift. Very sentimental and definitely in honor of his passed Grandpa Bert Fennel <3
Ernie and Lulu received the most gifts out of everyone in this household. It was ridiculous. And I need to learn how to STOP shopping at some point. Matt got so frustrated with me during the Christmas season for over buying for E & L, but they're my babies and I love them. So there.
After opening all of our gifts, we loaded the car with the hundreds of gifts and drove down to South Beloit to celebrate with the Mullranins. I love seeing my nieces and nephew on Christmas morning. The magic in their eyes makes Christmas so special and it makes me so excited for the day that Matt and I will have our own. Going to see Santa, doing the Elf of the Shelf, the advent calendar, making gingerbread houses and Christmas cookies, and putting the cookies and milk out on Christmas Eve for Santa -- just to watch them run down the stairs and see the belief and surprise in their face and the pure happiness in their eyes. Such a magical time. I can't wait.
My parents got Matt and I (along with other gifts) a HD Camcorder so we could record all of our special family moments in the future and my sister bought me a POTATO MASHER!! (Remember this post about practicing for Thanksgiving?) BEST.GIFT.EVER!! I never asked her for it. She just simply read my blog and remembered. She's awesome. I also got a cool family heirloom cookbook that I can add family recipes to and a couple other things. Above all, she reassured me that she will always be there for Matt and I -- no matter what -- said some incredibly caring things -- and made me feel more loved than I ever have on Christmas morning. We had an excellent time at the Mullranins and before we knew it, it was time to leave so we could go celebrate with Matt's parents.
Now this year was monumental at Matt's parents house. For five years now --- I have watched everyone in our family have a Christmas stocking knitted for them by Grandma Holtz. Once the personalized scarf was made, it hung above Matt's parents' fireplace -- along with every other family member's stocking. I couldn't wait to get my own. And this year was the year! Finally, I was legally and seriously part of the Fennel family! Even though they felt like family within months of knowing them, this year (and our wedding) made it official.
I had my own stocking.
Whoop whoop!
Along with the Christmas stocking Grandma made me, we also got an awesome old fashioned movie theater popcorn maker, movies, cds, playstation games, and !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Written by...........
JULIA CHILD!!!!!
Oh my gosh! I was thrilled.
Now I'm determined to successfully cook some of Julia Child's recipes --- its so intimidating. But so exciting at the same time.
We finished off the day by watching "It's a Wonderful Life" <-- a first time for me -- second for Matt within 24 hours. The movie is so so so so so so good. And its a must see and the black and white makes it even better. Again, magical.
Like I said -- Christmas was amazing.
Christmas went by far too fast and before we knew it, it was time to take down the tree (after much convincing for Matt -- he'd keep it up all year round if it were up to him).
Sometimes with all the "magic" of Christmas : the tree, Santa, elf on the shelf, cookies, gingerbread houses, lights, Christmas songs, and so on -- we forget the real reason for celebration. I'm not saying that these can't be done. After all, I love them all so much, too. But next year, I will absolutely be at the church service on Christmas Eve (that we couldn't make it to this year). I will be going to church every Sunday (like I "promised" I would before -- no matter how busy I am) and I'll continue to remind myself that all of the things earlier mentioned isn't the real reason for the season.............
This is.
"Fear not: For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all people. For this day is born unto you a Savior who is Christ the Lord"
Luke 2:10
Merry Belated Christmas Everyone!
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