Christmas

 

As I was listening to a friend talk about all the driving they had to do this past week, it made me very thankful that my family and Mike’s family lives right here in Owatonna. I never have to drag the kids across country, I never have to factor a 3-5 hours car trip into my precious and short break from work, and I always sleep in my own bed each night.

 

Christmas Eve was spent at my mom and dad’s for appetizers. Mike’s family joined us as well. I did not take any pictures of that event, but I did snap one of Noah and Connor opening their allotted ONE gift in pre-celebration of the big day.

 

Both boys got new Phiten necklaces this year.

 

Christmas morning came around 7:00 AM in the Budach household. Not bad! I can tell the kids are getting older…..

 

 

 

 

 

By far the most anticipated gift of this year was their Ipod Touches……they have not put them down since they got them. They were both so excited and happy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockings are always easier because Santa doesn’t have to wrap those gifts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That afternoon we headed over to Mike’s mom and Dave’s for another Christmas. All the usual suspects were there……..

 

 

 

If you look closely, you will see a few funny moments…..

1. Corey doing the Christmas-Vacation-Drum-Roll before opening his gift.

2. Zach getting a fancy rock from South Dakota as a decoy so he wouldn’t know what was really in his box.

 

A shot of all the grandkids.

 

We are now just enjoying our days off before going back to work/school for what I call, The-Longest-Three-Months-Of-The-Year. The days until spring break (which is a week later this year) seem to take 6 months, I swear. Florida starts calling my name around January 3rd and doesn’t stop until the plane touches ground down south.

 

I few noteworthy items from the week so far…

Noah had his first sleep-over. He’s miserable today and it basically a bomb waiting to go off at a moments annoyance (probably his brother). It just adds more fuel to my dislike of sleep-overs. I am hoping it doesn’t start to become a normal occurrence.

 

Noah also went somewhere without adults for the first time. I know I am a nervous Nelly when it comes to this stuff, and I know most 12 year olds have already ventured out without their parents at least to a movie with friends, but I don’t like it. He went to the basketball game with some buddies and I went to the movie with my parents and sister-in-law. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to relax and just enjoy the show knowing he was there alone. Minus one mishap of him dropping his phone UNDER the bleachers, all went well (how would I ever know if it didn’t since I wasn’t there?!) and having to call a janitor to crawl inside the bleachers because they aren’t retracted after games, he got it back and it still works.

 

I wonder when this will get easier? I guess I have to trust that he’s a responsible, good kid and hope like heck he remembers that when he’s out without his parents. But, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. So for the record, I don’t.

 

As of 4 minutes ago, the bar is officially complete! I am looking forward to entertaining some friends there later this week. I will take some pictures and post about the before and after too. Of course, the construction did not go without incident, because it’s just not the Budach-way to NOT have some sort of issue or road block no matter what we try to do. But, it’s complete and we love it. It’s amazing how much that room has changed.

 

Hope your Christmas was merry and bright!

LB