Christmas Recap: Monday, Christmas Eve!

Much of Monday was spent in the kitchen cooking. I started out baking cookies using a new recipe I found in a magazine, while Mom started cassaroles and other Christmas delicacies. We made sweet potato cassarole, broccoli rice cheese cassarole, candied sweet potatoes and deviled eggs (I am sure there is something I am forgetting).

My cookies--they are called stained glass ornaments and were so pretty and yummy!

We did take a break mid-day, though, to run a few errands and for Starbucks, of course. In case you don't know, my husband is a Starbucks junkie and has to visit one (or more, if available) in every town we are in.

That evening we prepared to go to my grandma's house (my dad's mom). Dad had to work Monday, so we had to wait for him to get off before we could go. Our Christmas eve tradition is for each person to open one gift. We opened our gifts from Vanessa--she gave me some lotion and soap from BBW and the cutest wooden plaque that says "Our perfect companions always have four feet" with pawprints, too. It was so sweet and so perfect--I can't wait to hang it in my pug room!

After gift opening, we headed to Mamaw's house. This is always an adventure because you never know who is going to be there. My dad is one of eight kids, so there are lots of grandkids and great grandkids. Some years it is REALLY crowded but this year it was pleasant. Mamaw got us all a gift, and then we did a gift exchange where you still. Every year, my family brings gifts that we want and then we try to get our own gifts. And we were successful! I almost caved in and picked a gift someone else brought, but Jason told me to "stay the course."

My grandma with some of her friends

Josh, Jason and I at my grandma's house