Our first Christmas so originally named "Early Christmas" was held on Saturday 12/16. Lil B and This is Five were headed out of town with their mother for Christmas so we hosted an early celebration. The night before we had Forced Family Fun and decorated gingerbread ornaments and watched old school Christmas cartoons.
We then had a week to prep for the rest of our celebrations that would all happen in the span of about 28 hours in 2 different states.
It was disappointing but probably for the best, that our engagement photo shoot was delayed on Saturday 12/23. We started our day off a little calmer and we got an hour earlier start on our trip up to NC. We even had time to stop for Lexington BBQ and tour through B's alma mater.
We woke up the next morning and went out for a run. Waving, wishing drivers passing by a merry Christmas and decked out in fun head bands. Had we been home, we had been invited to a couple fun runs. Since we couldn't go, we had to make our own!
#2 was at B's dad's house on Christmas Eve. It was a house full of people I had never met and they went out of their way to welcome me and even laugh at some Dad Jokes. I mean, I had a new audience and a few glasses of wine... A short visit there and we were headed to #3.
#3 was with B's mom. We headed out to a Chinese restaurant in Rocky Mount, NC. His mom had heard good things and wanted to check it out. It was packed, but I swear I was the only MOT there! Amazingly, Santa made an early stop that day and our stockings that had been hung by the chimney with care were now full!
Christmas Day arrived and I don't know how Santa does it as we were pretty wiped out after on a few hours of sleep. However, right on schedule in our Christmas p.j.s we were out the door at 5am and headed straight to my sister's house. Thankfully as the kids have gotten older, the morning has started later. I used to spend the night there as the kids would be up and ready to go at 6:30. This year we got a call around 10, checking in on our status....After a 7 plus hour drive....
#4 was with my sister and her family as it has been since at least 2001 if not before. (I missed 2009 but they came to Orlando the next day.) Kids still being kids, they unwrapped the presents under the tree before we got there, I can't blame them, but they did wait to do their stockings with us. We got to the house around 1pm in time for an amazing brunch in which we ate and ate as we had been up for 7-some hours without real food. Then presents and stockings with the neighbors and then...I napped! We put on A Christmas Story and I proceeded to pass out. I won Christmas this year as I commissioned my niece to paint a picture of where we got engaged. B loved it!
My niece who has really enjoyed cheering with us this year upped our cheer game...
After some visiting and short nap, we were headed to #5.
#5 was a visit with friends who have pretty regularly held an open house on Christmas Day, but I can't remember the last time I had stopped by. I'm sure it's been a few years. But when I got the invite this year, I knew I wanted to make time to stop by. This was a group of friend who hadn't yet gotten to meet B and the hostess was responsible for me signing up for my first half marathon. We couldn't stay too long, but it was really nice to visit with them! Old friends are good friends to keep around. It's nice when you can just pick up from where you left off. Except....their children who I used to babysit for are all much taller than me and driving!
#6 was with our sister-wife and her family. We couldn't miss spending some time with my roomie and her family. They so generously open their home on Christmas to any of their friends to come by for dinner. Besides, we really like spending time with them so of course we'd be there! Friends are the family you get to choose! After racing BB-8s around the house in which I kicked B's butt... we headed home for our last Christmas celebration.
#7 was just the 2 of us. Sitting on the couch we unwrapped our presents. We discussed that neither one of us could have fathomed 8 months ago, that we'd be sitting on the couch together Christmas day thinking of how we get to start our own family holiday traditions.
Keeping B busy all day I think kept his mind off not spending Christmas with the kids until we stopped moving. Then I think it hit him. This life is new to all of us and we are doing the best we can with each situation as it presents. We are both very much looking forward to having the four of us together for Christmas in 2018!
Oh, and one of B's other gifts was his first Marathon at Kiawah Island, December 2018. I'm either the best fiancee ever, or a jerk. Let's see how training goes!
Wishing you and yours a very healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!
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