Alabama Christmas

Kick back, cause I'm pretty sure this post SHOULD be written in several parts to break it up, but I'm going to write one big post!

We got to Headland around 5:00 on Wednesday evening after a long day of travel.  It was good to be home.  About an hour after we arrived my step-brother, Adam, arrived.  He's been in South Dakota and wasn't SUPPOSED to arrive for another day and a half.   It was an emotional reunion for Adam and Bill (and the next day with his kids, but I wasn't there to capture that moment).

It was good to see him.  We put Etta in bed around 8:00 and then we hung out for a while before we went to bed too.  I guess we should have gone to bed when Etta did because she had me up at 4:00 the next morning.  Seriously!  4:00!!!  Around 5:45, I somehow convinced Keith to get up with her so I could sleep for another hour and a half.  Then I got up and we got ready and the three of us went to a little coffee shop on the "downtown" Headland Square to meet up with my friend Lydia (and her hubs Tommy and son Jacob) who was home visiting family.  We keep up on facebook, but haven't seen each other since high school.  So, it was neat to get a chance to hook up. 

Etta wasn't cooperative for photos.  Most looked like this:

and this:

That afternoon, while Etta was napping, Keith and I went on a date!  It was back to "The Square" to try out a new oyster bar.  We were a little skeptical at first, but we pulled up a bar stool and the awesomeness commenced!  The oysters were great, the fish sandwich was great and the atmosphere was greatest!  The menu had a TON of things on it.  None of it was really healthy, but I could have gone back every day for a week and found something new that I'd like to order.

On Friday morning (Christmas Eve), Etta slept all the way till 4:20!  She gave me 20 extra minutes!!  This time, I put her in bed with us and an hour later, she was asleep again.  Keith barely noticed any of this, of course.  She let us sleep until about 6:20 and Keith got up with her while I slept for a bit longer.  I eventually dragged my butt out of bed and into the shower so we could head to the mall.  No, I'm REALLY not crazy enough to go shopping at the mall on Christmas Eve...  Every year, we wrap presents for charity on Christmas Eve.  The Temple there in Dothan always signs up to man the wrapping station on Christmas Eve so that the Christians can be with their families on that day.  When we were done working our shift (plus an hour), mom and I actually did walk around the mall and do a *little* last minute shopping.  :)

Mom and Pops and I with Rabbi Lynne

When we got home that evening we had our traditional "Keith's Christmas Eve Chili" before sending Etta to bed.  Keith went to bed shortly after she did, but Santa's Elves were up until about 1:30 wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings and prepping Christmas brunch.  Etta woke up around 3:30, but she just needed a diaper change and went back to sleep until a more reasonable hour. 

When everyone was up on Christmas morning we let Etta into the room with all of the presents.  Santa brought her a REALLY neat baby baby grand piano and a red trike and she got a guitar (thanks Aunt Donna!) and a roll-up piano and a car ramp and lots and lots of other presents!  LOTS!  E didn't even really notice the trike until later in the morning.  She got a couple of Auburn t-shirts and after each one was opened, she would hold it to her chest and lay down on the floor because she wanted to wear it.  I also gave her this little make-up kit with brushes and some of my old empty containers and she went to town applying!  It was cute.

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E finally slept until normal time on Sunday (if I remember correctly?  I'm so sleep deprived at this point!).  She snuggled in bed with me a little after I got up and then we took a bath together in the big claw foot tub in my parents' bathroom before more guests were set to arrive. (sorry, no photos of me in the bath).

My mom's first cousin Millie and her husband Jim are "snowbirds" from Nebraska who spend their winters in Destin, FL.  Their daughter Erin and Erin's daughter Nashiya also came.  I had actually never met them until yesterday.  They were lovely and I really enjoyed getting to know them!  Shortly after Millie and her crew arrived, Tammie, Jeanne, and Nick arrived.  Then we feasted on yummy homemade lasagna for lunch.  That afternoon, we played a pretty hilarious round of Dirty Santa.  Keith was the most entertaining.

Later, Aunt Tammie gave mom a pair of super big glasses and we all took turns trying them on:

Etta liked riding around on the scooter that Kessler got from Santa. 

Yesterday morning Etta got up early again....  How early?  3:00!  That's THREE AM!! Seriously.  She was up and talking and NOT going back to sleep.  At 4:00, I put her in bed with us.  At 5:30 she fell asleep.  At 6:00 she was up again!  Keith got up with her and let me sleep until 7:30.  Then, we packed up, loaded up, said our goodbyes, and were on the road by 10:00.  I had hoped E would take a nap in the car.  And she did... for 25 minutes.  That's it.  She had been up since three and during the entire 7 hour trip, she only slept for 25 minutes!  As you can imagine, she passed out when I put her in bed a little before 7:00.  I stayed up later than I should have trying to get this blog posted, but it turned into a monster and I just couldn't finish it last night.

I slept like a ROCK!  Etta didn't wake me up until 7:30 this morning!  Keith claims he heard her in the 5 o'clock hour, but she must have gone back to sleep because I didn't hear her until an hour and a half later.  Looking forward to a lazy day at home (sprinkled with a few chores).

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!