A perfect Christmas

Okay, I know it's "time" for the new years resolution posts and everyone is over Christmas, but I had to post about our wonderful Christmas day because I never want to forget it!

For the first time in quite a while, my parents did not host their sides of the family in town.  Instead the plan was to (as usual) spend Christmas eve w/hubs family, my family was going to Paducah on Christmas day, and then to Owensboro on the day after Christmas.  It's always a whirlwind, and I know that we should be thankful that we have all our family within a three hour or so drive, but this year after having so little time together, hubs & I really needed some "us" time.  So we decided to stay home on Christmas day, just the two of us :).

On Christmas eve we did the normal movie, dinner, and presents w/hubs' family.  We saw the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and then came home for a dinner of ham, turkey, and finger foods :).  Tons of presents as always, but the best surprise of all came right as we were about to leave.  We knew that there was a chance of snow the next day, but hubs opened the door to start loading up our car and there was lready an inch or two on the ground!!! We were so surpised and giddy--and all the kids had gotten snow boots & sleds from hubs' mom--it was great!  And then we got on the road...eep!  Apparently our city had not planned on snow so soon and winthin those 2 hours of accumulation the roads were covered and slick w/ice.  We slipped and slid and our normal 15 minute drive just about doubled in time before we made it safely.  I was really worried about my sister in law though, she had to drive to Smiths Grove, which is normally at least half an hour away...with 5 kids in the car!  Thankfully everyone made it safely and we came home to this:

And then on Christmas morning:

We don't get much snow in Bowling Green, and haven't had a white Christmas in years!  It was perfect!!

My parents came by the next morning to do presents at our house before they headed to Paducah, and then it was just the two of us (and Butch of course)!  I've got to say it was the best Christmas of our marraige :).   We laid around and watched movies, played some board games & Wii and just enjoyed the day together.  We had more time together that day than we'd  had probably in the past 6 months combined!  It was lovely.  For dinner I decided to conquer one of my cooking fears: steak!  I had seen the filet au poivre recipe on the Pioneer woman's website and decided that I could do it.  I made some yeast rolls & baked potatoes, then I set up a candle-lit dinner at the dining room table and we had sparkling grape juice (not really alcohol drinkers).  It was as good as a date out!  I used ribeyes for the steak and they were okay, but then I tried it again later in the week w/sirloins and oh. my. goodness.  AMAZING!  that's hubs' favorite cut of steak anyway so it was quite the hit.  Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures during any of our Christmas festivities, but here is a picture of the repeated steak dinner--you should definitely try the recipe!

I got some very special Christmas presents as well hubs surprised me w/my own GPS (because I get lost and often borrow his and don't give it back) and this beautiful necklace!

  

I got several things to help w/the baking including new airbake cookie sheets and best of all, the glass kitchenaid mixing bowl for my mixer!!  (from my mom).  Also extremely special was a gift from my dad: the Oswald Chambers devotional journal "My Utmost for His Highest" but the best thing about it is that he had gone through and wrote a message to me on every day of the year!  There were definitely lots of tears at that one, and just knowing that my dad had dedicated time every single day of the year to write something to me...wow. I am so blessed!

The day after Christmas was spent at my Aunt's in Owensboro.  Another wonderful time w/family, food, and presents, but the best part was really celebrating the "reason for the season."  We did our family's traditional advent with the candles and read Luke 2:8-14 with teh Christmas story and talked about the things that God has done in the last year.  It was wonderful!

This was such a great Christmas, and I hope we will always remember it!