Our Chirstmas Eve

First, I have to say that I have the sweetest husband EVER. Read the post below and you'll understand. It's nice to know that I'm loved and appreciated. We all need to hear it from time to time.

Okay...now, on to our Christmas Eve. We always go to my Dad's in Phoenix for the day. My whole family goes there. My Mom even comes which is great since they are divorced. My Mom and my Dad's wife, Suzy, get along really well. It certainly makes life a lot easier on all of us kids. We aren't running from Dad's house to Mom's on holidays like so many people out there. Just another reason we are so blessed.

We get to my Dad's early per his request. When we lived in Phoenix, we'd see my Dad and Suzy 3-4 times a week. It was hard moving up here and seeing them maybe once a month. So, we always arrive early to get in a little quality time before everyone else. Suzy let the kids open one present before hand. Which was good as Emily was chomping at the bit.





It was a roller coaster. Yes, a roller coaster. The kids love it.





Then, the kids played outside for a while before everyone showed up.





We had some delicious lasagna. Then, we all opened gifts.


They got so much stuff. Toys, games, trucks...

Then, my Dad and Suzy hand out the gifts for the older kids, my nieces and nephews. They are all in their teen years and only want money. They get what they want with it, so that's good, but it's rather boring. This year, my Dad and Suzy put their money in a little ceramic gingerbread house the size of a Christmas ornament. It makes the gift at least fun to open. So, the kids open their houses and are thrilled with $100. Then, my Dad throws out, "If you bring these houses back to me in 20 years, I'll give you $10,000." What? How much has my Dad been drinking? My kids got gifts, not money in a gingerbread house. Then, Suzy runs over to her Christmas village and hands me these 2 deer. The deer are now their $10,000 ticket in 20 years. They might not look like much right now, but I'm locking them up in my fire proof safe.


Then, my Dad throws out that anybody to finish college and present him with a 4 year degree will get $20,000. Seriously, what has my Dad been drinking? If that isn't incentive for my nephew to get his butt in gear, I don't know what is.

On the way home, I called my Dad and asked if I could be grandfathered into that college deal since I only got an associates degree? He laughed, of course, and said, "sure, sure." And, that's my Dad....happy and broke!