Christmas Day Is Here

After all the shopping, shipping, wrapping, baking, cooking, decorating, and hosting, Christmas Day is one big exhale for me. We spend the day at home, relaxing and enjoying each other's company...and opening and enjoying gifts...and eating cookies.

A sure sign that Sarah is getting older? She didn't get up until 7:45! Abby was getting tired of waiting. 

There were two distinct themes to the gifts this year: the cabin and the Vikings. Don and I gave each other collages of A-frame photos. I also gave him a customized journal for the cabin, and Sarah gave him a "Life Is Better at the Lake" sign. Emily and Omar outdid us all, however, with a customized sign for the cabin.

Sarah was completely outfitted with Minnesota Vikings merch this year. Playing cards, necklace, ornament, t-shirt, and a box full of goodies from the Vikings Kids Club (thanks, Rachel and Matt!). She also got a refurbished iPod Nano from us (to replace mine, which she left on an airplane). She asked for a Touch, but I'm just not ready for her to have wifi and texting at her fingertips.

Sarah gave me two beautiful jars -- one full of chocolate and one with hot chocolate mix, chocolate chips, and marshmallows -- that she decorated herself. She gave Don and me a taper that she dipped at school.

We had frozen leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings, for dinner. Easy and yummy!

And just like that, it was all over for another year. Sarah proclaimed it a successful Christmas. Sounds a bit materialistic to me, but I guess that's not surprising, coming from an 11-year-old.