Christmas Dinner...Italian style

The youngest kids get to open first...

The older kids opening gifts

Davian's 1st Birthday is tomorrow....where has the year gone?

The oldest boys being silly

and now Me & Crissy are being silly...


Then around 4:30 we headed towards my Dad & Cathy's for a non-traditional Italian style dinner. Cathy made a shrimp scampi/fettuccine dish and bought a spinach & a meat lasagna from her friend Tina that owns Milano Inn Downtown. They also threw in a salad and some yummy rolls. Of course she still had tons of desserts and appetizers. All I can say about the spread is WOW! Plenty of leftovers for all of us too!

This year since there are 13 grandkids and it can be a little crazy...we decided to do the gift opening in groups. Young ones first, big kids, and then the adults. That seemed to go over much better as far as enjoying watching everyone open without total caos. Thanks for all the lovely gifts and great times! Not to mention the last stop of the night and having a few cocktails waiting! We love you and always have a blast!

Christmas Brunch

Nice Nikki...paybacks :-)

Mommy & Emily

Me, Jason, & Mom

Look at my little stinker giving rabbit ears...

Wow...Mike isn't talking...LOL

Time for gifts...

Grandma didn't forget my Strawberry Shortcake doll!

We had our annual brunch @ Mom & Jeff's around 1:00 with that side of my family. I love it! Biscuits & gravy, french toast casserole, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, potato & ham casserole, etc. We look forward to that spread all year. Of course, its always a great time visiting with my siblings and hearing what all their kids got from Santa. Not to mention...we always get spoiled by Mom & Jeff! They know how to do Christmas!!! Thanks for the memories & (the gifts)...we love you!

The Stockings....

Mmmm..Godiva chocolate covered strawberries

Look Daddy..I got your favorite "Reese's"

Panties for Emily & diapers for her babies


Personally I always find the stockings to be just as much fun as the presents. If not more so! Santa puts alot of thought in the things he picks out for all of our stockings. We all always get a new Hallmark ornament and a little candy but the rest is personal items or little gifts of thought.

Santa even brought me a christmas yankee candle and a bottle wine dressed up in a little Santa suit on the mantel next to my stocking. Inside was a Starbucks gift card, lottery tickets, make-up, lotion, slipper socks, etc..........that big hearted Santa doesn't ever forget about Momma!

What did Santa bring???

The view...before Emily gets up.

and not to leave Daisy Mae out....pupcorn , toy, & a much needed new bed :-)

Just coming out at 9:45!!!

I think she likes it!

Ooooh look at my golf club set!

Still not ready to part from the bike yet!

Ok...now lets open gifts!

Toaster for my kitchen....

Talking Handy Manny toolbox from Daddy

Enchanted Belle...was this years Snowbabie from Mommy & Daddy


Emily slept till 9:45 this morning. She was awake until at least 11:00 in her bed the night before and had skipped her nap. So...we were waiting patiently for her to get up :-)

When she did get up...she was super excited to see that Santa had come! She LOVED her Hello Kitty (big girl) bike! Of course she had many favorites but the golf clubs, toaster, Handy Manny toolbox, spaghetti playdoh set, camera, snow shovel, new books, games, & puzzles were among them too! Mommy & Daddy bought Emily a new bible & Christmas Snowbabie for her collection. Daddy got her the Handy Manny toolbox & Mommy bought her a "So Real" doll. She was so happy and cheerful that she would even stop nicely and pose with a smile for my pics! This was definately a fun year to wake up with her.

Daisy Mae was excited about her gifts and Mommy & Daddy made out nicely too! My favs were the UGG boots (that didn't come in yet) & my long awaited Harajuku Lovers box set perfume. I have wanted it for some time but would never buy something like that for myself...but Santa did! Then it was off to eat a quick breakfast of Christmas sprinkled donuts (shaped like trees) and get ready to be at my Mom & Jeff's for brunch @ 1:00......

p.s. If anyone is wondering...Matthew always spends the night at his Mom's and comes home right before we leave for brunch. That way he can still visit with them for awhile on Christmas and not miss out on my parents all day :-) We have done it that way for 16 years and it still seems to work out best even though he misses out on watching his sister open her gifts...he gets to spend the rest of the day with her.

Leaving out reindeer food & cookies for Santa

All gone!!!

Yummy cookies for santa

One of the very last things that we do before Grandma Kay & Kim leave on Christmas Eve is sprinkle the reindeer food on the front lawn and set out Santa's cookies & milk. Emily picked one of Daddy's chocolate chip cookies & one of Mommy's lemon to leave him! Then everyone leaves and its off to bed around 10:00 ish for Emily!

Christmas Eve with the Gamble's

Our candycane ice cream cake from Baskin & Robbins

Sooo excited to get her Mickey that does the Hot Dog dance

Presents..............

Ha,Ha I won the game! Kim bought her Hi Ho Cherry O

I look totally exhausted by now...because I was!

On Christmas Eve I cook dinner for Mike's side of the family. We had a ham, baked mac & cheese, dressing, deviled eggs, & sweet potatoes. We have bought an ice cream cake ever since Emily's 1st Christmas...but this year since she is understanding what Christmas is really all about, we put Happy Birthday Jesus on it and will from this day forward.

After dinner we exchanged gifts and Emily was glad to see that she got her Mickey Mouse that does the Hot dog dance. Along with many other things she also got a few games that she was super excited to play. Kim loves it when she brings her match game over when she stays, so now she has a few more things to bring when she visits with them. We had a very nice evening but we never forget the 2 people that we are now missing from our family that used to once be at this gathering. Merry Christmas Papaw Lou & Uncle Jack!

Dinner with Santa & Family @ The Milano Inn

Yummy spaghetti

Here comes Santa..Zoe' had no problems greeting him

Spaghetti Face..

Brandi, Sophia, Mamaw Cathy & Us

We decided at the last minute to meet my cousin Crissy, brother Ryan, and parents at The Milano Inn for dinner with Santa. Kids eat a spaghetti dinner with Santa for $2.99 on Tuesdays in the month of December. my step-mom's friend Tina is the owner and we go down there often for their events but we haven't been there since they did the remodeling. It looked beautiful! Emily & Sophia were busy playing together most of the evening and didnt pay to much attention to santa being there. Thats okay as long as they had fun!