Merry (belated) Christmas..and a happy New Year!

Okay, so I haven't gotten around to blogging the way I like to but boy do the holidays take a lot of time! I was blessed to have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off (a rarity in the nursing world but I DID work BOTH last year!). Christmas Eve was spent at Jake's parents' house. It's been a tradition in his family to go to "Nanna and Nannu's" house on Christmas Eve. All of us (of course) wished we could be with all the rest of the Michigan clan at Buz Nanna and Buz Nannu's house but we at least had a few people to celebrate with. Jake's sister and brother-in-law were in town with our nephew and niece so we at least had some more family members as well as good neighbors to celebrate with. We repeated it the next day at our house. I had to cook the traditional things that MY mom makes at Christmas. It's just so hard to be apart from family at Christmas. Despite the merriness that the season should bring I often find it a very hard time, especially with all of my family in Michigan. I think it has been especially hard b/c I want everyone to be able to see what a joy Elijah is.





So what did Elijah think? Let's just say he loves paper. To eat it that is! He actually did open the presents that he had..mostly to get the paper, but hey, what can I say? The kid knows what he likes. He has enjoyed all of his toys but I have to say that he has really liked one toy that I never thought that he would. I had bought this little piano at WalMart the day after Thanksgiving for $15 (it was a good deal) and it's listed for 1 and up so I figured it was a "not yet" toy. I put it together just for kicks and (after I took the seat off that he kept falling off of) he LOVES it. Maybe this is just a hint of what's to come. I would be so proud if he learned an instrument like the piano and could play it in church. I guess we'll know in time. He sure does love music though. The one funny thing that we noticed is that he is very sensitive to music. Why do I say that? Because when he hears "O Holy Night" he cries. I think he senses that it's a very spiritual song..my favorite Christmas song too. Bummer for me because I couldn't sing it without him getting a big pouchy lip. Who am I kidding, I couldn't sing it anyway because I had NO VOICE! I lost it the Friday before Christmas and am just barely getting it back now. Those of you that know me well, know that it was SO HARD for me to not have a voice. Not just because I talk a lot, but because I LOVE to sing...especially Christmas songs. Who doesn't? They seem to be the one kind of songs everyone knows the words to.

Going on. Jake and I enjoyed our presents too. Jake got a Nintendo DS and an RC car and I got an IPod. I also got a bunch of goodies for the kitchen (cook books, olive wood utensils, ramekins, etc) and some other great goodies. On Christmas night after everyone went home and Elijah went to bed I ended up making a pot of tea in my new Japanese tea pot, sitting down and soaking my feet in my new foot soak, and watching White Christmas (my FAVORITE Christmas movie). I just love Bing Crosby. What a voice . Of course I love Rosmary Cloony too. The song White Christmas reminds me of my Grandpa. He was an excellent whistler and used to always whistle along. I miss him and my Grandmas (another hard thing about the holidays).