Merry Christmas!

This was our 2nd year being away from family for Christmas.  We weren't as "sad" to be away from family because I feel we are becoming used to being away for important events...I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  The only thing that is different about Christmas away from family is that it feels like every other day, other than the gifts part.

Three days before Christmas Kyle had me open a gift from my stocking because he was too excited to wait till Christmas.  He ALWAYS has a tough time waiting for gifts, which usually means before my birthday, Christmas or Valentine's or our anniversary I usually get to see a gift before the date.  He's cute :)

This is my gift.  A cozy to fit my mini Dr. Pepper cans! Since I've been drinking the mini cans now, the cozys we have don't fit, so he took one of ours and ripped out the seam and hand sewed it to fit the mini cans! I love my husband! 

Kyle's family has a tradition of opening up one gift on Christmas eve, so we started that tradition when we got married.

I opened a gift from Rhonda and Larry.  A planner I have been wanting for awhile! It'll keep me more organized come 2013!

Kyle opened a gift from me and he really is happy with the flip flops, he just isn't happy with me taking a picture. 

After opening our one gift Kyle got our air mattress, placed it in the living room, and pumped it up.  We got our sheets and pillows and put on A Christmas Story.  At about 6 in the morning I asked Kyle if he wanted to go upstairs to our bed.  He agreed.  Our bodies are already too old for an air mattress. 

Christmas morning I was planning on making streudel for breakfast, which is another tradition from the Durant family.  I have never made it and neither has Kyle.  We didn't have time to make the dough till morning, so we decided to have it for lunch instead.  So we started off our morning with stockings, presents, Christmas movies and then we moved onto baking, cooking, and dinner with friends. 

PRESENTS!

Kyle with his gifts...movies, clothes, racquetball bag, ear protection for shooting, a heated towel rack, and some fast food gift cards for work lunches.

 My gifts...Toms, Blazer shirt, Shark mop, jewelry box, paint brushes for crafts, gift cards to shop for clothes from Macy's, Banana Republic, and Target, and Starbucks :)

Adding to our collection...we may have a problem with collecting movies :) Is 300 too many?

Blackberry Streudel! I did it! Kyle even approved :) Delicious!

I also made some simple chex mix for our dinner party.  Along with that I brought over delicious yams and deviled eggs.

Derek, Rachael, Kris, Amanda, Aribella, Megan, Britt, Kyle

We went to our neighbors Rachael and Derek's for Christmas dinner.  We had a potluck style delicious dinner! Amanda lives on the other side of Rachael and her mom, Kris, has been with her helping with her daughter because her husband is in California.  Megan is another wife whose husband is deployed. I have met her a couple times, but hope to get to know her better.  After dinner her, Rach and I signed up for a Living Social deal for a photography class in Honolulu.  It will teach us how to get out of Manual mode on our DSLR cameras.  I can't wait! 

After dinner Kyle and I went home and I asked Meg if they could FaceTime and fortunately, they were all still up! So glad I could capture this moment! From Hawaii to Oregon.  I love technology! 

We had a wonderful Christmas and are so blessed to have family who love us, even if we can't spend it with them.  We are so thankful for having an amazing Marine Corps family who we are able to spend time with and be our "family" when we can't be with our blood family.  In the midst of the gifts, family, friends, food, and fun I have to remember that this is the day that God sent His son in the form of a baby to this earth...a baby! How miraculous that Jesus Christ came into this world the way each and every one of us do.  We need to be sure to spread the GOOD NEWS that He is BORN! Praise the Lord!