The snow only lasted a few hours but it still counts as a white Christmas

I wasn't going to write about our Christmas until tomorrow or Saturday (procrastinators unite!), but I'm sitting on the couch soaking my foot and since I have nothing else to do, I might as well blog. For those wondering (which is probably exactly zero of you), I appear to have an infected cut thanks to the day I smashed my foot against a shelf at Walmart four weeks ago. I guess injuries are to be expected when you're running around in heels trying to find the shortest check-out lane.

We spent Christmas Eve next door with the relatives. It's a pity they ended up with such a skinny tree.

This was Christopher's first Christmas with my family, so he was able to experience things like Matthew and Aaron protecting themselves during the annual wrapping paper fight. 

Molly was there in all her loud and boisterous glory. She was very excited that Daniel and Erika gave her a check for Christmas. She was boasting to Zachary that he didn't get a check too (in reality it sounded more like "Zach! ZACH!! Did you get a check? DID YOU GET ONE? You didn't?! I GOT ONE AND YOU DIDN'T!!!"), but he wouldn't have liked the check anyway because it was really a gift certificate for a pedicure. 

EXACTLY at midnight it started snowing!! It was truly a Christmas miracle. I was so excited. Last Christmas I was surrounded by palm trees and missed the snow so much. 

Christopher was really! excited! on Christmas morning.

We spent the day at home doing two of my favorite things- giving gifts and eating food.

We gained a new family member this Christmas. 

Aaron gave the fish to Dad so he'd have some company at work. I'm really hoping he'll last through New Years but I'm not holding my breath. Aaron forgot to buy fish food so the fish  hasn't eaten in two days. He's still unnamed but based on previous fish experiences, he'll probably be named Joe. Over the years we've had Joe, Joe Jr, Joe the Third, and Joe the Fourth. All have died in infancy which has really discouraged me from naming any of my sons Joe.

I spent some quality time during the day posing with the giraffe mask Daniel and Erika brought back from South Africa. 

It seemed like the thing to do at the time.