Christmas Day Recap

December 25th started out okay. I go up said my prayers, wished all of you peace, and started making my famous salad and *tried* to make Cake Balls for our family get together. I said tried, because I could not find the almond bark anywhere and tried to substitute it with melted chocolate chips - to sum it up, they are still sitting on my dining room table. I do not like making people eat something that I would not eat myself. That should have been the first sign about the kind of day it was going to be.

My dad was out of town for his brothers wedding, so my step-mother decided to invite her family to our yearly "all day event". My sisters and my step-moms family are not close at all, so already it was a little awkward, regardless, we decided to put our differences aside for my step-mother. We had an 11:00 brunch, played games and hung around the house, and dinner and dessert at 6:00.
In order to not bore you with the specifics, it was a SUCKY day! There were babies everywhere! There was a little girl the exact age Alyssa-Joy would have been, a baby boy, the same age Evan would have been, a newly pregnant girl, as well as a heavily pregnant girl. For the most part, I avoided them, but with an all day event, I could not just shut myself away in the guest room, as I did not want anyone to think I was being deliberately rude. It was an okay day, but sucky nonetheless as it reminded me of what should have been.
*Sorry there are no pictures. Dh *borrowed" my camera and left it at work. My sister took some pictures and I am still waiting on them,even though I have asked her to send them to me several times.

My step-kids have been here for the past week as well. They are 10, and 12 (preteens really) and it has been interesting to say the least. They are moody and quite rude. I have had to put them in their place several times. Hubby was at work, so it was left up to me to entertain them. Keeping them in the house would have been brutal, so I found several cost-efficient things for them to do. Entertaining them is tough. A few years ago it was easy, now they have their own ideas about things they want to do, and none of those things are similar.
One more thing, they fight like cats and dogs! I do not remember my siblings and I fighting like that. Every time I turned around, they were at it, and I don't just mean bickering back and forth, I mean bit** slapping each other. I can say I am exhausted! My house is a mess, the carpets are going to have to be cleaned, things are ripped, and my white cushioned formal dining room chairs are ruined. I keep telling myself, at least they had fun, but jeez! Is this what I have to look forward to when my own kids become teenagers? Lol.
They leave on Saturday, but their dad is off, so he is on kid duty and I am locked away in my bedroom with a cup of tea.....finally breathing......again.

I got my necklace that I won from Bree, and my angel ornament from Mrs.A.. Ladies you are the best! I cried when I got them, and every time I look at them, I tear up. I love and appreciate the fact that others love and treasure the memories of my babies as much as I do. I will post pictures tomorrow when I get my camera from hubby's office.

Where is my expected end?