So... after work on Christmas Eve, Amaya got a very abbreviated nap before our Christmas Eve Service. After church, we went to the Horning's for an absolutely wonderful dinner and opened presents. They gave Steve a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon book, a Vikings sweatshirt, and a Andrea Bocelli Christmas CD. I got a new WW Scale that I absolutely love, a Biggest Loser Success Stories book, and a beautiful 2000 piece Christmas puzzle!! Anyone want to come over and help me?? They gave Amaya some play vegetables (to go with her new kitchen for her birthday... shhh... don't tell Amaya!), an "Elmo ABC" book, the "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" book (which she almost has memorized), and an art easel/desk where she has spent countless hours coloring!
(Insert adorable picture here of Amaya sitting in her new desk with Grandma and Grandpa.)
We gave Grandma Horning a puzzle (which will be much easier to do than mine) and I put in updated pictures of Amaya in Grandma's scrapbook. We gave Grandpa Horning a real estate tie and a gift certificate to Starbucks.
(Insert pictures of Amaya giving Grandma and Grandpa their presents.)
(Insert pictures of Amaya and her grandparents in front of their beautiful Christmas tree!)
I spent the morning of Christmas Day at work. I usually grumble and complain about having to work the holidays, but this year I had a different attitude because I was able to make the holidays special for someone who couldn't be with her family.
Since I was getting done with work early, my parents invited us over for a brunch - YUMMY!! We had an egg bake, Kringle - a type of Danish(?) pastry, grapes, and the best cinnamon rolls ever!! I only had one, but Steve had SIX! We have a tradition of watching the "Christmas Story" with my parents, so while Amaya napped, we watched movies the rest of the afternoon.
(Insert picture of us cuddled on the couch!)
Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Struckmann invited us over to their house of supper later that night. She made her usual roast dinner which was especially good!! (Can you tell we've eaten well over the holidays?) We also enjoyed Grandma Horning's Candy Cane Cookies!! Amaya really liked these, so I better get her recipe before next Christmas. Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa gave Amaya a cute stuffed snowman that we later found out played Christmas music. Steve received a gift certificate to JCPenney's, and I got 2 cookbooks filled with great recipes! We gave Great-Grandma a puzzle and gave Great-Grandpa some homemade fudge.
(Insert picture of Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa in front of their Christmas tree).
I'm disappointed that our pictures got lost because I snapped quite a few of Amaya playing with Great-Grandpa. She brought over her new play cookies and baking sheet (thank you Wiggins family) and was giving him cookies with frosting and feeding him, etc. It was very sweet to watch them interact and every moment spent with him is priceless and precious.
The next day we were all able to sleep in, and Amaya opened her stocking that morning. By this time, she's quite the pro at opening presents and we hadn't even celebrated with my side of the family yet! She got a kid's Bible music CD, a Berenstain Bears DVD, purple socks (because she's always wanting to wear purple socks!), an electric Dora toothbrush, and purple play-dough. She was very excited about everything and after all the presents were opened, she said, "Again?" :-)
(Insert cute pictures of Amaya in her jammies surrounded by wrapping paper and her stocking on our bed.)
That just about wraps up our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Stay tuned for Christmas with the Gustafson's - in color!