We left December 26th to go to Sanford; Patrick's brother has a new house that holds everyone with room to spare! By early afternoon we had arrived at Jason's house. We were just in time for another large meal, complete with my favorite: mac n cheese! The turkey was very moist, and Jason did a great job preparing it (no, he did not ask me to say that). After lunch, there was much fun to be had. Pick your favorite: gingerbread house construction time, playstation time, nap time, puzzle time, holding Jonah time...never a dull moment!
After awhile, we all gathered around to exchange our presents. We picked names this year, and I had Jason. I gave him a Black and Decker dustbuster. And yes, he had wanted one. Jamie, Patrick's sister, had me. I have a thing for monograms, so as I pull out each cute gift, I notice S's and A's everywhere! Things like this just make me smile. You did a great job, Jamie! Patrick's nephew, Justin, had Patrick. He gave him "buckyballs". These are tiny magnetic balls that can form into different shapes. There are about 200 of them. I have to admit that they are very addictive. Do not pick them up unless you have a good 20 minutes to spend with them. I want one for myself! It comes with its own little case, which I would probably get monogrammed:)
Once again, Jonah got all sorts of fun things! He got an adorable Linus blanket (Charlie Brown's Linus). It is super soft, which is perfect because he is so tactile. Some other highlights were veggie tale movies, teething toys, bumbo seats, ELF ON A SHELF WOOHOO!! (If you don't know about it, just ask me. I love this idea), stuffed animals, blinking snowman that plays carols, the list goes on and on! I can't keep everything straight, which is a sign that we were overly blessed with many great things for Jonah and ourselves! Mimi and Grandaddy had all sorts of goodies and gifts in rubbermaid containers. We all got Florida t-shirts, including Jonah! Patrick's had a little animal on the back; once we spotted it, we all wanted to see if we had it on our shirts, too!
After the "real" present opening, we ventured upstairs for the "dirty santa" presents. I always get somewhat nervous doing this, because I never want to steal from someone else even though that's part of the game. Somehow, I always end up with really cool stuff. Although I did have two cute snowman things at first, they were stolen by Kim. Kim, it's ok..I cry less and less each night:) You got it fair and square! After three rounds, Patrick had a long-sleeved thermal shirt and fleece; I had a glass tealight holder with a glass shade with little christmas trees etched on it. Very pretty.
Although we were only there for less than a day, I enjoyed every minute. I am thankful to have married into a welcoming family; from the very first meeting, I was welcomed with a hug. Patrick's sisters have been more than sister-in-laws; they are friends. They are the big sisters I never had but always wished I did. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jonah molds into our families as he gets older. I think he will always know laughter, and even during the hard times he will know he is loved.
Merry Christmas to the Wentz and Sams Families!! We love you.
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