This Christmas

Hello, friends, and happy holidays! How was your Christmas? Ours was lovely... up until 2:30 or so on Christmas morning when Alan and I were suddenly struck with the most horrible stomach flu. It lasted right on through until Boxing Day. I still can't believe it. Of all the days in all the year to get so desperately sick, it had to happen on Christmas day. We'd had such a nice Christmas Eve, singing songs and visiting with my parents, putting out cookies for Santa {and nine carrots! one for each of his reindeer} and trying on our snazzy new Christmas pajamas. We read The Night Before Christmas out loud, then put the kids to bed and watched It's a Wonderful Life. We piled the presents under the tree and turned out the lights and got excited thinking about the magic of the next morning. Until we woke up and were violently ill...

I think the kids still thought it was magical. They were so patient and understanding as we made them stay in bed way longer than we normally would on Christmas morning. They had fun opening gifts with very little supervision and eating as much chocolate as they liked without anyone even noticing. Alan and I laid on the couches and dozed as much as we could considering how sick we were, and watched the boys celebrate around us. It's all a bit of a blur, but it certainly was a different Christmas and one we'll always remember.

Our twinkly house on Christmas Eve

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

Boys in Christmas pjs, {and Sawyer loving his new Nutcracker snowglobe!}

Cuddles by the Christmas tree

Before all the presents were piled high

Christmas dinner 2012 {not really... I didn't even manage to get through my tin of ginger ale until Boxing Day!}

We've been taking it pretty easy here the past few days, building lots of Lego, playing board games and lounging by the fire. I'm so glad we've still got a week left of holidays to enjoy now that we're feeling so much better. I'm keeping the Christmas music going, and kicking back in my cozy slippers. What are you up to in these last few days of the year? Have you got big plans for New Year's Eve?

PS: Have you noticed? I'm on Instagram now. You can follow me here.