The first morning of Christmas break was supposed to be the “Ball Family Christmas” where we opened all our gifts that were unrelated to any other Christmas gatherings. We were planning to sleep in, leisurely open gifts in our pj’s, have a nice breakfast, clean up, and then get going on the day (because there were a fair number of things on the agenda for the afternoon!)
When I got up around 8:00 I thought, oh, I think I will take a shower since everyone else is still sleeping. So I showered and I blew dry my hair and I put on just a tad of make-up so that I wouldn’t look dead in the pictures. When I came out of the bedroom around 8:30, Sarah was there saying she hadn’t been able to sleep since 6:45! I explained it away by saying her body was just used to getting up early…little did I know she was anxiously awaiting The Surprise that she knew about.
By 9:00 a.m. or so we started our gift opening.
While we waited for everyone to be ready, I took a few fun Christmas tree poses.
Sarah received lots of chocolate from Bethany that she planned to eat during exam studying.
Bethany was super excited about her cupcake decorating kit in her stocking!
Two of Becca’s favorite gifts from her stocking…a Webkinz and candy!
Stocking gifts for Elise – a Webkinz and a light up rolling toy from the dollar bin at Target that she loved!
Sarah received How To Train Your Dragon 2 and I think she liked it!
I LOVE Elise’s face in this picture – I think she really loves her robe from Becca!!
Sarah gave me this book by one of my BFF’s sisters. I have read it and it is good! I really liked her first book, “The Mourning Hours”, too!
So then…just when Ed was headed into the garage to retrieve the bean bag chair for Becca & Elise, the doorbell rings. Sarah’s face lights up and she says, “Mom, I think you should answer the door!” At that, I became very glad I had showered and done my hair & makeup a little. I didn’t know who was going to be behind that door, but I answered it…
and there was this elf standing on my doorstep who looked oddly like my baby brother…
CAN YOU BELIEVE MY FAMILY PULLED OFF A SURPRISE ON ME? There was my brother, in the elf costume we had seen on Facebook just the day before from his school Christmas program (he was on stage crew). He & his family had flown in the day before, which we knew, but we expecting to see them the next day, after they had spent some time with my SIL’s mom. Unfortunately for them, her mom was too sick for them to spend time there then, but there they were on our doorstep and we were SO excited that COUSIN TIME started a whole day earlier!! Then I found out that Sarah was the spy on the inside, helping to coordinate the arrival. No wonder she couldn’t sleep! What a great day and a great beginning to Christmas Vacation!!
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