FROM CHINA TO CAROLINA: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas......

This holiday season has been extra special to us and our extended family because of our new bundle of joy. Bundles of joy don't always have to be infants now do they? To add to the festivities of our already over zealous crowd (mom being the ring leader of course) Maran fell into the parade in high stride. She never missed a beat and hung out like a true trooper. Christmas Eve we went to Aunt Peggy's house in Weddington (about a 25 minute drive from our house). We enjoyed a wonderful Italian dinner of HOME MADE LASAGNA, ziti and CHICKEN PARMESAN. (This has become a Gieser tradition.... ITALIAN on Christmas Eve... a REAL treat). We got home about 9:30 with two children who were asleep in tow (at least for a short while). Thankfully we bathed them and jammied them at Peggy's house so the transition from car to bed was pretty simple. What was not simple is that EVERY one of us is sick and Maran woke first with an extremely sore and raw nose and would not stop crying. She only wanted daddy and she finally let us put some Aquaphor under her red little nose. Rudolph would have had stiff competition with her for sure. We were also able to get some Vick's on her chest and she was soon fast asleep. She didn't understand the fact that Santa was coming today although she TOTALLY loves Santa and jumped right into his lap at the mall and even answered his questions (not sure they were accurate but that's irrelevant). Her retirement meant that we could finish some last minute wrapping and help Santa unload his sleigh at the back door. It was quite a large load this year so the door had to be used instead of the chimney. David and I were in bed around 11 so it was great. The first one to wake was Maran around 7:50 and she jumped in our bed and hung out quietly telling David and I to be super quiet so we wouldn't wake Luke. We finally made it into the tree area around 8:20. Luke felt so bad last night I don't think he truly even remembered that it was the day that Santa came.

They enjoyed their gifts and loved opening them up. It was quite cute. We went outside to play with the remote control cars first. Then out came the ATV's... LET THE SHOW BEGIN. We had a couple of crashes but overall things went well. Our traditional Steak & Egg breakfast was great and then off to Grandpa's house we went (really Aunt Jean's house but Grandpa was there). It started snowing on the way and it was beautiful. It was truly picture postcard perfect. It was landing so beautifully on the side of the road and thankfully NOT sticking to the road (not yet at least). After a wonderful meal at Aunt Jeans (you NEVER get anything but wonderful from her kitchen) we opened some gifts and quickly got in the car to go to Winston to deliver more gifts and head home as it was snowing hard by now and really starting to accumulate. In most parts of North Carolina any amount of snow halts any and everything and traveling is first and foremost. We got to Winston and dropped in for no more than 10 minutes and back on the road we were. It only snowed for less than half the trip home so it was not too terrible. We left just in time because the places that we were are a WINTER WONDERLAND now. We wanted to stop and see my cousin and Uncle Leon but we couldn't take the risk.

We are home now and the sleigh is unloaded (again). It has started to snow and is very pretty. Everyone is in bed and almost asleep. PEACE on Earth. There is a lot of heavy breathing and sniffling since we all are sick and sound pretty pitiful. What a joyous day it has been. It has been memorable for me especially. My first Christmas with a daughter.... a Christmas where I got 4 pairs of boots ( I SO LOVE BOOTS) and one where I received two of the most beautiful hand made gifts ever. I got to see my entire family except my sister (which normally doesn't happen at Christmas) and now we are safe and sound in our comfy home. As well all of our family members are safe and where they wanted to be for the night.

I feel both relief and bittersweet right now as Christmas Day 2010 is about to come to an end. I have always made Christmas a huge production at our house and always will. I simply love it. This year I was more unorganized than ever and I think it was one of the best ever. NO one missed the coffee cake that I forgot to make this morning. We made do with NO SACRIFICE with only one fresh apple cake instead of the 3 I usually make and no one noticed that we didn't put up our usual NC STATE WOLFPACK Christmas tree. Simple was the mode and it was the right one for us.

We are blessed to have the family that we do both immediate and extended. We are honored to be called mommy and daddy by two of the most beautiful and loving children ever and we pray for Peace on Earth and the safety of our armed forces. We pray for them year round not just at the holidays and we always pray for their families to have strength.

I hope you had a Merry Little Christmas because sometimes a 'little' Christmas is all you need.

Joy to the World! May your heart be light.