Christmas this year was a little different than normal.
My Firm's traditional Christmas party is a breakfast that is always on Christmas Eve. I was on the planning committee for the breakfast and we had worked so hard all fall planning this year's event. We had close to 200 RSVPs and it was looking like it would be a very successful breakfast. The week of Christmas rolled around and the weathermen started predicting icy weather on Christmas Eve. The committee and I had all decided that no matter what, we were going to be there, even if it was going to be a breakfast for us four! I woke up at 4:30 Christmas Eve morning to rain on our windows, I started getting ready and next thing I know, Jeff is up to. He was afraid it was going to get too bad during the breakfast so he offered to drive me to OKC and would hangout at the Skirvin while we had our breakfast. Everything was fine, the weather was cooperating. By the time it began at 8 AM, we had close to 75% attendance and it was a huge success! (Considering the weather!) The breakfast ended at 10:30 and as we all left the hotel, it was apparent the weather was drastically changing. The rain from the morning had turned to ice and was beginning to turn to snow. Once the snow began, it didn't stop all day. It was amazing how white it was outside. I've only seen conditions like that on a mountain skiing. We left in the middle of the afternoon to run right up the street to grab stuff for lunch and barely made it back. We were dodging stranded cars, left and right and Jeff even had to get out to push some cars. It was nuts!
Luckily, my parents had driven up the night before so they were here on Christmas. Unfortunately, my brother, Roger, wasn't able to drive up after work on Christmas Eve. He kept insisting that he was fine but we wouldn't let him make the drive. His only options for cars were small ones and I know he wouldn't have made it. It was sad spending my first Christmas in my 25 years of life without my brother.
The snow storm wore these lil' guys out! They didn't leave the couch much that day. Bailey would have rather held his bladder than go outside in the snow. Charlie, would have loved it if we had let him play all day. The poor thing would have been lost pretty quickly though!
We did our traditional family Christmas Eve... (minus going to church which was closed due to the Blizzard of '09). My Great-Grandmother on my Mom's side started the tradition of tamales on Christmas Eve. As long as I can remember, my family has carried on this tradition with a full on mexican feast! We have tamales, tortilla soup, chips, queso, salsa and sometimes taco casseroles! Yuuummmmmy!!! Jeff got out that night to pick up his Mom, brother and sister-in-law to come over and join the feast!
Jeff's Mom, brother and SIL!!! So glad they were able to come over!
After Jeff took them back, we celebrated Christmas with my parents! Our "big" present that they have been teasing us about didn't make it from Texas. Roger was supposed to be bringing it and my Mom had placed a little bag on the back of the tree with a note that said Santa left you something in Roger's trunk! Despite still not knowing what our big present was, we had a blast opening our gifts! I was sad to have them opened because the tree looked so bare!
Charlie was all ready to open presents in his Santa's outfit!!!
The next day was spent with Christmas morning breakfast at Jeff's Dad's house, Christmas lunch with his Mom's side of the family then we went back to his Mom's house to open presents. The next day we went to Jeff's Aunt's house for fun with his Dad's side of the family and a nice game of Dirty Santa!!!
This pond is close to our house and I made Jeff let me stop to take a picture on our way home from his Dad's house! We love to walk/run around this lake!!
Before my parents left, I snapped one picture with the best Mom in the world!
Considering the weather conditions, we were blessed to be with most of our family and couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! Everyone was safe and happy!
