Merry Christmas Eve!!!

I just returned from dinner with my dad's side of the family. 4 of the 5 brothers were present and accounted for...along with their wives and children. Also present were stepmom's brother and his wife. 20 in all! Excited kids, excited grandparents.....what could be better? *G*

I love Christmas! I love being packed in a house surrounded by squealing kids and watching my dad light up as he looks around at his large family. He and I are more alike than I think even he knows!

I always try to find gifts for he and stepmom of things they have mentioned wanting recently....only Dad hasn't "wanted" anything. So this year my brother and I went in together and bought him something I knew he would find just too much fun....We bought him a talking deer! If you have ever been in Walmart....and who hasn't? *L* I am sure you have seen them in the hunting/fishing area. Anyway, this thing sings songs like "On the Road Again" "Suspicious Minds" and "Friends in Low Places" True Redneck comedy I'm telling you!! But the best feature in my mind and I knew it would be the thing that my dad would love.....it came with a remote control and microphone....which meant that dad could prank the rest of the family as they came in! We got there early and had him unwrap it so we could get it up on the wall before most of the family got there. He laughed as he opened it and stepmom told him that we bought him a deer since he couldn't seem to kill one himself! *L* He had a blast all night long! When someone new came in he would hide in another room and ask the kids questions or try to scare my brothers. He was in his element. I love making people smile like that! I must have gotten my weird sense of humor from him!


The kids were just about beside themselves and begged us to open presents before we ate. Stepmom told the kids to open theirs and the adults would wait until after we ate. Usually she give the adults something small to open and then she gives us money. She had already warned me I would not be getting money because she knows I like to unwrap presents and besides she "had bought me something really cool"! *L* Well how could I not be excited?!? I was in the kitchen fixing my plate when a niece came in caring presents to me and my SIL....we of course were expected to stop what we were doing and open them right there! Now I knew that all the "girls" were getting pajamas and I knew mine were probably Eeyore PJ's since I love all things Eeyore. I was right! We all got 5X7 pics of Dad & stepmom as well. I also got the cutest Eeyore shirt and one of the most thoughtful things.....my stepmom remembered me saying that I would love to have a copy of "Tapestry" by Carol King....she had looked for it for months with no luck.....it seems she couldn't remember who the singer was...but my dad did and so she had that in the box as well.....but the best thing of all was when she called me into the livingroom and told me to open one more....the box had my name and "Birthday" underneath...(My B-day is the 28th) Stepmom NEVER gives me my B-day gift early...she knows I like the gifts on my B-day if at all possible.....anyway, She says that since she has come up with something new for my B-day and since I didn't get money like everyone else I got a special present!! OH BOY!! She gets her camera ready before I can open it.....ooohhhh it must be good!! I tear open the paper.....get help opening the box and look inside at a trash bag! *G* And then I grabbed the bag.....I feel something soft and start squealing like a 6 yr old! My stepmom had bought me something so cool....so not like her.....so silly that I was speechless!










She had bought me this HUGE talking Eeyore!!!




He is quite possibly the coolest thing EVER! We had seen them when we were at Walmart a few weeks ago. I told her that when Sugarbritches, Stepmonster and I were there before I had seen it and almost jokingly told them that I wanted one! It was over $30 though and I thought that was sort of pricey for a stuffed animal. I proceeded to squeeze him a few times and let her hear him say things like "You're an awful good hugger" & "I sure could use a hug from you right now" I smiled and told her that she should tell SB to buy it for me......never thought I would actually get it! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! *LOL*

We stayed until after 8:30 but I had to get SB home....Bless him! He has been sick for a few days and he was feeling horrible! It didn't help that they have a cat and he is allergic to cats! He came home got in his PJ's and laughed as I curled up on the couch w/ Eeyore and watched Christmas Cartoons like a kid! He really shouldn't laugh....I was changing channels when I happened on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (cartoon version) and he told me to stop! "This is a good one!" I hope we never grow up! *LOL*

May you all have child-like enthusiasm this Christmas! And may you all get things that are truly unexpected but exactly what you wanted!