More Christmas

Christmas Eve held all of its normal  charm.  We spent  the morning at the Jolley Family Breakfast and then hung out at the Rigby's all afternoon.  Of course we stuffed ourselves on Pizza Hut pizza as per tradition.  Then it was back to Oma's to read the Night Before Christmas and the story from the Bible. 

 They were as thrilled with it as we used to be as kids.   I remember thinking that it took hours to read Luke 2 and now as an adult I am surprised to realize it is only a few minutes.  Rocky said the prayer, "Please  bless that the night is short so that it can be Christmas soon."  And then it was time for bed.

The girls fell  asleep  almost immediately but I couldn't.   I was  too excited.
A Side Story: For a couple of years  Rocky has been begging for a Vitamix.  You may have never heard of this appliance but it is an extremely powerful blender.   They are sold  at Costco and often the  company will send  in a salesperson to do demonstrations in  the  store.  This guy names Patrick was stationed at our store in Eugene.  I will admit that he was a  great salesman, and quite charming.  Rocky would beg to be able to watch the demonstration  and  would have stood there all day if I had let  her.  Instead of giving her the  usual tiny sample  cup he would give her a big red solo cup  of whatever  he made.  He let her choose the next recipe and decide what kind of fruit to put in  the smoothies.   At first I thought that she just had a crush on him but one day when we  came home  she  told her dad, "I think I am in love....with the Vitamix."  The obsession only grew  worse when the company sponsored her favorite cooking show, "The Jazzy Vegetarian."  In November when I asked the girls what they wanted for Christmas and she said Vitamix I flat out told her no.  It is a powerful blender, which really means that it is an expensive blender.    Brandon asked Rocky, who is 6, what  she would do with a Vitamix this is what she said, "I am glad  you asked.   You can make  soup.  You can make smoothies.  You can make everything."   Part of me thinks  that she has a chance at stealing Patrick's job one day.
When we took her to see Santa and she asked for the Vitamix he was totally taken aback.  It is true that she is the first 6-year-old to have asked for that particular gift.  I told her that Santa doesn't make blenders and she took it well.   "It doesn't hurt anything to ask."
Of course you know where this is going.  Due to an incredible sale and small Christmas miracle we were able to buy one.   Rosy helped me  pick the one with the red body.   It hid in our house for a week  despite the fact that her  baby sister kept saying to Rocky, "We hid the Vitamix."  Lucky for me Rosy says all kinds of  nonsense all  day long so nobody even listened.  The blender was the thing that kept me  up on Christmas Eve.   

They girls woke around 7 to a  miraculously snowy morning.  We all curled up on Oma's bed and snuggled up to watch the Christmas Story movie on TV and  wait for the breakfast  casserole to heat  up. 

 I made them  wait almost an hour because it was just so sweet.    Finally after we ate it was time to check out the stockings.  

This year each girl got a little art kit and then there was a big surprise.

 There was one  big package left and inside was  Rocky's dream gift.  I didn't get any pictures but Jill  took a  video.  I did take a picture of them  watching the video.  Rocky was so excited  that after the initial surprise she turned pale and had to sit down for a few minutes.   I  feel  a little bit bad that  at  6 years old  she has hit the best Christmas morning of her life.  It is all downhill from here. 

I failed to mention that Daisy also received her heart's desire.   She wanted a  hand-held lime squeezer.  We found her gift at Dollar General.  Both girls were equally thrilled.

 Once everyone recovered  from  all the joyousness  we  headed outside  to get  some snow time.

 It took longer to get all bundled  up than they actually played, but it made  for some cute photos.

And after you freeze your buns off in the snow it might seem like a good idea to heat up some  hot chocolate, but Rocky had other plans.   Nothing at that moment would be better refreshment than a  frozen pineapple smoothie made in your brand new Vitamix.

 Delicious.

And from that high point we went down a long, vomit-filled,  fever-wracked week that I don't really feel like  remembering.

All in all though it was a lovely trip.  The holiday was filled  with parties, food, friends and family  that I  didn't  bother to photograph.  We had  so much fun, in fact, that I cried all the way to Idaho on our way home.  It  isn't that I don't love Eugene.  I would live here forever if I could, but it is just  such fun  to be with family.   If I could only get  all the people I love to move here, now that  would  be perfect.