Christmas Recap - Word Version

HI FRIENDS! :)


This post is coming to you live from my comfy bed via my brand new IPAD2!!!

Yes... I typed that right. My husband and my Dad went in together to purchase me an iPad and I couldn't be more thrilled. As you may have read in previous posts, I was debating between an iPad and a Kindle Fire. My husband decided that an iPad would be best suited for what I wanted it for (blogging purposes included) AND on top of this already awesome gift, my husband and father in law went in together and bought me an amazing case that includes a keyboard ran off blue tooth. HELLO! Now, when I attach it to the keyboard, it truly is like a tiny laptop. PERFECT for blogging as I am doing at this very moment.

I am titling todays blog post the "word version" because honestly, I was a bad blogger over the weekend and didn't capture very many pictures. I caught a few on my cell but I am utterly exhausted and don't feel like uploading them just yet, so I will scour family facebooks for photo's I can borrow, as well as upload my pictures sometime this week and share them with you all.

As for the past few days?

Thursday was my husbands birthday, as most of you know from the Thankful Thursday post I did. We have been so blessed to both have off Thursday - today, together. On Thursday we went out to breakfast to Cracker Barrel with three of our friends to have a birthday breakfast. Mmm... Then he did some last minute shopping (an iPad maybe?) with his friends, while I did the same, we ended the night at another friends house. I didn't get him anything super big for his birthday this year, he wanted a new tap out shirt, so that's what I got him.

Friday we did more last minute shopping, together, and then went on a double date with some of our friends to Abuelo's. Before the double date, Ryan and I went to Picasso's cup and painted an ornament together. We decided to start collecting an ornament for each year starting with this Christmas since it was our 1st married Christmas. We chose a house to paint since we are in the process of buying our first home (again, more to come on that soon). We had a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see our finished ornament once it's all glazed and fired. Gotta love pottery. We also drove around and attempted to look at Christmas lights after dinner, however were disappointed in the lack of lights in neighborhoods we thought would be lit up!

Saturday (Christmas Eve) was filled with visiting family. I started the morning off by taking a mini Christmas tree out to the cemetery for my Momma :) My best friend from high school asked if she could go with me since she hasn't been in years... so we did that and then I ran with her to buy a gift for her new boyfriend :) Ah, young love! :) then my husband and I got ready to head out to our 1st stop. My Dad came with us and we headed to Ryan's granny's house in Riverview. There we enjoyed finger foods (my personal favorite was home made cuban sandwiches), singing Christmas caroles around the piano, and a White Elephant gift exchange. Afterwards, we headed over to one of my cousin's houses in Valrico (they conveniently only live about 10 miles away from Ryan's granny). There we enjoyed more food (my favorite was ethnic rice and beans), karaoke, and another White Elephant gift exchange.

Sunday (CHRISTmas day) was not what I was hoping for, but regardless, it was an incredibly blessed day. I suffered from a horrible migraine (to the point that it made me sick) for half of the day. I woke up around 5am and could already feel the pressure building in my neck. I took an excedrin migraine and went back to sleep with the icepack under my neck. When I woke up at 8am I felt better. My husband and I got ready for church, and I felt fine through church. After the service, when we stepped outside, I was immediately effected by the sunlight. Migraine was back a long with sensitivity to light. BOO! We ran by the cemetery again (I found a beautiful butterfly ornament that said Mother and 2011 on it and I wanted to hang it out on the tree I took to the cemetery the day before) and then ran home to change really quick and grab my Daddy. We then all headed over to Ryan's parents house. We are all so blessed to live within a 5 minute radius of each other, and also blessed that are families get a long so well and that my Dad feels comfortable attending all of their functions. It's an amazing blessing for us to all be so close. Once we were there, we enjoyed Spanish Beef Stew that his mom whipped up in the crock pot while she was at church. Spanish Beef Stew is one of our favs (enough to the point tha we requested it for our rehearsal dinner back in April) and as always it was delish, but, my migraine was still building up. It was getting to the point that I was nauseas. We were supposed to be heading to Orlando to finish our evening off with my cousin Kristy and her parents. That never happened. :( As we opened presents at my in-laws, and I held an icepack to my neck and face, I finally got to the point where I had to excuse myself to the bathroom and get sick :( HORRIBLE. From the bathroom floor I called my Aunt and told her what was going on, and that I wouldn't make it. SO SAD. I proceeded to join everyone in the living room as they unwrapped the last few gifts, and then I asked Ryan if he could run me home, like ASAP, and then come back to his parents to gather presents, etc. I just needed to get home right then. I hate being sick to my stomach in front of others. Again, so blessed that we are less than a 5 minute drive away so Ryan rushed me home where I proceeded to get even sicker. UGH! NOT HOW I WANNTED TO SPEND MY FIRST CHRISTMAS AS A MARRIED WOMAN!! I sent my husband back to his parents to gather our things, and hang for a bit. I told him I was literally going to get sick, and crawl into bed as sleep was the only thing that would help this migraine go away, and that I'd rather him spend a bit more time with his parents and granny than sitting and watching me sleep. SO, he ran back down the street, my Dad stayed at home with me, and I did exactly as I said, got sick AGAIN, grabbed the ice pack, took another excedrin migraine, and cuddled up with Chico and Bullseye and slept. I slept for about an hour or two and felt considerably better when I woke up. I didn't feel well enough to chance my stomach on the drive to my Aunt's in Orlando but we did venture over to our EA (Emotionally Adopted) (<-- read more about our EA family by clicking that link) family's house to exchance gifts. We did that and they also offered us some home made Chicken Pot Pie which was perfect for my tummy. Our EA Dad was real sick as well and missed ALL of Christmas with his family. He couldn't get out of bed, so they post poned everything until this morning. I could tell Momma H was down, she said this was the 1st time in their 30 years of marriage that they spent Christmas apart, even if it was just by a bedroom. I checked in today, and he was feeling 10x better today and they were all able to do presents and eat together as a family :) As for my hubby and I today? I was also feeling MUCH better! We left for the Brandon mall early so we could get a ZAGG protective cover installed on my iPad before I do any damage to it :D I am horribly clumbsy with stuff and I want to protect my iPad as best I can. Afterwards we enjoyed a brunch at Sweet Tomatoes, which if you don't know what that is, it's an amazing buffet place that specializes in salads no less! They also have a soup and pasta bar. It's fresh and yummy! We then came home and I ventured to Orlando with my Daddy as he went to his sisters to fix her car and I got to hang with Kristy after dialysis since we missed each other on Christmas. My hubby went and enjoyed some video game time with his best friend. I am waiting for him to come home now, so we can cuddle up to a little TV time... maybe a little Everybody Loves Raymond?

Wow... I feel like I just typed a ton... hope it wasn't too boring! Pictures to follow... soon :)

I hope you all had a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and that you took time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. I can't wait to read everyone's Christmas posts.

I can say that while a migraine knocked me for a loop, I still had an amazing Christmas with loved ones and I just feel so incredibly blessed. I am a lucky woman. I am loved unconditionally by so many, and best of all, that includes my Savior Jesus.