Despite the fact that it took almost 40 minutes to get the van out of the driveway, today was a WONDERFUL DAY! Might have seemed even more so that way because we has been stuck at home for 2 1/2 days!

Jay and I ran some last minute errands and then came home and started getting everyone ready for church. Getting the LAST SHOWER after 9 other people have bathed is certainly an "awakening" experience! I usually try to get the first shower, but was so busy getting stuff together that I realized too late that I was in for the cold shower!

We headed out the door at 2:40 to make 3:30 Christmas services. The roads were a bit tricky but luckily it is only a few miles from the house. The service was PACKED, we lucked into one of the last remaining pews and within minutes of our arrivial it was standing room only!

Once we were finished, we headed to my parents for Christmas Eve dinner and presents. My brother Steve and his wife Carolyn were there (they arrived about 30 minutes after we got there). My mom and dad "slow cooked" a roast, it probably was a bit overcooked, but was still really good! My dad made this horseradish suace to go with it that was YUMMY! Cranberry Relish, 24 hour salad, green beans, brocolli casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and rolls finished off the meal!

After dinner, we gathered to open presents. My mom and dad got each of the kids 4 gifts and my brother and his wife gave them each giftcards to Target (and Jacob was bugging me on the ride home to tell him when I would take him there to spend it)!

As for me.....Steve and Carolyn gave Jay and I giftcards to Ruby Tuesday's (now to decide if the kids get to go with us or not!). My parents gave me a beautiful necklace with a mother and child pendant (it is silver and kind of new age looking, really cool) and a pair of earrings, a pair of gym shoes, bath and body stuff, and for Jay and I to share a set of bed sheets (wondering if my mother had been peeking in my bedroom to see how GROSS and OLD my sheets were!), some cookie sheets, and a toaster. Jay got a golf club and a pair of gym shoes. It is so nice that they are so generous with us and the kids, really takes some of the burden off of us for Christmas spending!

Jay and I were a bit surprised to find out that my brother has had a book published. It is only available from Amazon. I am going to have to get my hands on a copy and give it a read!

All in all a VERY GOOD HAUL! The only thing missing??? A bottle of Asti Spumante for the New Year! My mom always gets one for both my brother and me but the bad weather kept her from getting out and buying it this year! I am holding out hope that she might show up with it later this week! If not I guess for the first time ever I will have to buy my own New Year's Eve bubbly!