A Few Things From Christmas

So...how was your Christmas? Was every wish fulfilled, every goodie eaten, every magical fantasy brought to life in a flurry of wrapping paper and bows? Or did you have a nasty case of Christmas Letdown that resulted in actual tears like my almost 11 year old? More on that tomorrow.

Aside from that, we had a lovely day. I had made cinnamon rolls the day before, so all I had to do in the morning was take them out of the fridge, let them rise while we opened presents, and then bake. Voila - Christmas Breakfast.

On Saturday, I had made a gigantic lasagna in my 10x15 Pyrex dish - big enough for us to eat over the course of many days. This was my best idea ever. I had french bread to make garlic toast and then any time we were hungry (and needed a break from the goodies), we just microwaved some lasagna and broiled some bread. Voila - Christmas Lunch.

I also had the foresight to do a big roast and veggies for Christmas dinner. My whole mindset for the day was to not have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I put the meat, potatoes, carrots and onions in the crockpot around 10 am, and then sat back to enjoy my day. Voila - Christmas Dinner.

The only drawback to my stay-out-of-the-kitchen-on-Christmas strategy, was that I really did stay out of the kitchen, except to serve up plates it seemed. And with me out of the kitchen, well, the dishes just didn't get done. I walked into the kitchen this morning and saw with clarity, the flaw in the plan. We did in fact use plates, silverware, glasses, 9x13 pans, 10x15 pans, cookie sheets, serving spoons and cutting boards, and one very large crock pot, bearing the evidence that our roast was not the leanest cut of meat. Tasty, but not so lean.

Voila - Day After Christmas Dishes.

I'm on my second dishwasher load and working on the by-hand dishes.

Note to self: Next year, use paper plates, etc., aluminum foil baking pans...or just suck it up and do the dishes. Remember the huge lasagna though - that part was brilliant.

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I received some wonderful gifts - a new flat iron for my hair, a blender, a new cutting board and a higher quality knife than I've ever owned, to name a few. Yes, I asked for these things - and I love them. I'm a homemaker and I need good tools. And my hair needed a new flat iron.

But the real surprise came from Troy. He gave me my ring again.

A little over a year ago, I was sitting in church and happened to look down at my hand. The center diamond on my engagement ring was gone. The prongs were all still in place, but the stone just wasn't there anymore. I was so sad.

I loved this ring. The diamond itself was tiny - smaller than the prongs that held it. I remember choosing the ring with Troy, when I was 19 and he was 21, and having the clerk explain that the prongs were white gold which would make the diamond look bigger. I never cared that it was small - I loved it. It was delicate and feminine and I thought it looked perfect on my small hands. And now it was unwearable.

I put the ring away in a tiny cardboard box that one of the boys had given me and buried it down in my underwear drawer. For a while I didn't wear any ring, and then I started buying these fabulous fakes from http://www.eleganzajewels.com/. Flashy and huge, they were inexpensive enough to own several, and I did. But eventually some of the plating wore off, and they became unwearable too. I think they had a guarantee, but I never went to the trouble of sending them back. For the last few months I've worn nothing on my ring finger.

Until yesterday. Troy, in a complete act of pure romance, gave me my original ring back. He'd dug through my underwear drawer and found the little box with the rings, still unsoldered after 19 years of marriage, and took them to a jewelers on the Saturday before Christmas. He chose a diamond - a little bit bigger this time - and had it placed in new white gold prongs. They soldered the engagement and wedding rings together, and polished it up like new.

When I saw the box, I was worried about what it might hold. Troy is notorious for going overboard and spending money that we haven't earned yet. I shook my head and protested that we were going to think about me getting a new ring around our twentieth anniversary. Not now...not with the new truck...not with the new dog...not with all the other Christmas expenses...I don't need it...blah, blah, blah.

"Just open it." he said, "You'll like it."

The boys were watching me, Troy was watching me. I prepared to gush and oooh and aaahh, and then find a way to return it - sensible girl that I am. I don't need...

And then I saw it. Polished and glittering, delicate and feminine.

"It's...it's my ring! You got my ring!"

And then I cried. And hugged him. And kissed him. And put it on.

I can't stop staring at it. It is the perfect ring for my hand, for me. That's true love, right there.

I gave him floor mats for his truck.

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We weren't the only ones enjoying a new puppy for Christmas. Both are still waiting for their names, but you can see them here and here. Puppy love all around.

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And in Oliver news...well, he's just the sweetest thing!

He's still sleeping a lot, and we find ourselves carrying him around like a baby. It's taken him a few days to learn to walk on the slick kitchen floor, and now he bounds across it like a bunny. At least until his feet fly out from under him.

It's been so fun to introduce him to our friends and family.

This is my niece, Olivia. I predict that they will be good friends.

He spends a good amount of time crashed in his pad.

And he's starting to play with and chew on his toys.

Sometimes though...it's just so hard to get out of bed!

Alright, enough of this furry, cuddly, wonderful nonsense. I've got a few more dishes to do.

How was your Christmas?