The Maple Family Blog: Christmas 2011

Unbelievable...another Christmas has come and gone! As I put away decorations today, I felt a little sad~these thoughts crossed my mind...how the years are flying by...another year gone...how my boys are only young for so long...how THANKFUL I am to have another Christmas with them...how one day soon, they will be having their own family Christmas.

So, I will try my best to recap all that happened this Christmas.

Here are a few pictures of our home all decorated for the Holidays...We put our tree in a different spot than last year and I loved it!

We spent the night before Christmas Eve with Mike's side of the family. After eating dinner and opening gifts, Mike, Rhonda, Gary and I played a game Rhonda has been wanting to play forever...Red A**...IT WAS SO FUN!! We played for hours and truly had a blast!

Group pictures...

The kids enjoyed their hot dogs and Frito pie...

Cade got a Dallas Cowboys blanket and an Under Armor shirt. Drew got his infamous camo coveralls and matching hat!

Mike had to go to the fire station on Christmas Eve. After lounging around the house all day, the boys and I headed up to see him~chocolate pie in hand and Drew dressed in his camo attire! We got there just in time for dinner...which, once again was SUPERB!! We ate, visited, and of course the boys played on the fire trucks.

Cade had a hard time sleeping the night before Christmas...I think the thought of Santa coming in the house had him a little freaked out! The only way I could get Cade to sleep was to let him sleep in my bed. With Mike being at the station, I was left to get "things" done on my own. Having one of the kiddos in my bed didn't make my job any easier, but I worked my magic anyhow and got things done!

Daddy had someone relieve him from the fire station early (5am) so he would be able to make it home in time to have Christmas with us. He arrived home about 6am. Drew (who got in my bed @ 4am wondering if Santa had come-I told him it was TOO early) heard me letting Mike in the house...he couldn't wait any longer...he ran to the tree, saw his trick bike and said, "He did, Santa came"! Cade then got out of bed and joined us at the tree. We proceeded with our tradition of opening gifts, going back to sleep, then heading over to my parent's for breakfast and more gift opening.
Christmas afternoon and evening was spent at my parent's house. We ate (again) and had a white elephant gift exchange.