Blunk/Wilhoit Christmas

Lisa, Jeremy and I drove to Bettendorf Christmas Eve to spend Christmas with the my family. The trip took and hour longer than usual due to a snow storm, but we managed to get back at 8:30pm and enjoyed chili and chicken tortilla soup, Jeremy's favorite. We counted about 44 vehicles in the ditches from Des Moines to the Middle Road exit, which actually didn't seem that bad. I just hope everyone who was traveling eventually got to their destination safely.

After eating, we opened gifts. Roger was a little short on sleep and passed out in the recliner so we piled all of his presents on his lap to keep him warm. Jeremy and I had decided not give each gifts this year since we purchased a new sofa and got blinds for the whole house this fall. But, of course my wonderful husband got me something anyway - he gave me perfume at this family Christmas. So... I got him something too. He has been wanting an iPod for a while and I knew he was going to get Best Buy gift cards from other people, so I got one as well to go towards that. I also got his a couple of sweaters.

The gift I'm really excited to use is a milk frother from my parents. I get flavors steamers from Starbucks every so often, but now I can make them from home.

Christmas day we spent my aunt Jamie's where we had more soup. Jamie tried out this brat soup she got from a Rachel Ray cookbook - it was YUMMY! We brought the treats - Lisa and I spent her birthday making all kinds of stuff, including truffles that I have never made before. Anyway, I believe there were more treats then regular food there! It's alright - it's the holidays!

Each year at least one perosn gets a gag gift or picked on. This year, Uncle Jack, who is always full of mischief, picked on my mom. I guess at Thanksgiving this year (we didn't make it back, I just heard this story) Lisa and Jack took the turkey out of the oven and tried to get some juices from the pan with my mom's OLD turkey baster. The rubber part must have had a hole or crack because it didn't work. So what does Jack do? Pulls the rubber part off, put the tube part up to his mouth and used his mouth to suction the juice up and blew it onto the turkey. (I guess I'm glad I wasn't there to eat the turkey!!) So Jack saw my mom's obvious need for a new turkey baster and decided to get her four. One from each of her kids. She had fun opening all of them.

That night Bob and Michelle hosted their annual family Christmas. Again, we had soup (not complaining! I love soup!) and we had plenty of treats left to bring over. Each year we do an adult gift exchange where we all bring a gift and draw numbers to pick one. Jeremy got an ice cream maker and I got a bottle of red wine and a nice wine set.

Grandma and Grandpa both made it. Grandpa was a little tired, but I think he enjoyed seeing everyone. He has had a feeding tube in for a few months now and this was this first time I saw my dad feed him with it. It actually didn't seem like too big of a production. It's good that he's getting his nutrition that way. Grandma was more quiet this year, but we got a few smiles out of her. During the adult gift exchange I gave her a waded up ball of wrapping paper and she liked to look at it and said it had pretty colors.

When we got to my parent's, Jeremy and I were pretty tired and went straight to bed. I have been fighting off a cold this week and I think I may have gave a little bit of it to Jeremy. I am looking forward to the day that I don't have a raw nose and throat...