This year was the first time in forever that I actually 'slept in' on Christmas morning. I didn't wake up until 7:00 - most years I can't sleep at all! I guess that's what happens when you completely exhaust yourself by spending two full days on your feet cooking and baking before Christmas. I did some last minute tidying so I wouldn't have to worry about it later on in the day and then settled in on the couch and drank coffee out of a festive mug while it was still dark outside and the tree was lit up. I LOVE getting up early on Christmas morning to enjoy the darkness - it reminds me of my childhood because we would get up at 3:00/4:00 and open gifts while it was still pitch black outside and everything was lit up from the Christmas lights - they just make me so happy. I hauled all of my presents upstairs and then helped my Mama carry all of hers out of the spare bedroom - there was barely any room left on the living room floor. My Mama goes overboard every year just like I do. Once my sister and nieces arrived we just had to wait for my brother and his family to get to the house. It was torture for my nieces to see all of their presents but not be able to open any so finally we left them open up their 'stockings' that my Mama had put together for them. That occupied them until the rest of the family showed up because they had L.O.L Dolls to unwrap and that takes sooooo long.
