5-4-3-2-1.......

....and let the festivities begin!

Today marks the official kickoff of our whirlwind week of celebrations. This afternoon we celebrate at the cabin with Shawn's mom's side of the family. Special visitors, Mr and Mrs Claus, also make an appearance.

Tonight we (us, Shawn's siblings and our kids) all sleep at my inlaws and will wake up to their version of Christmas morning. All year we look forward to the danishes and mom's egg and sausage casserole. And if you know my inlaws you can imagine the sea of presents that await. My mil starts shopping the day after Christmas for the next year. Where will we ever find homes for all that stuff!

Later that evening we'll be off to my Aunt Nancy's to have Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family.

And for the first year EVER....we will wake up Christmas morning at our own house!!!! Santa usually visits us a day early so we can do the "Christmas morning" thing at my inlaws. Hopefully this year will be nice and calm and relaxing....as opposed to last year when we carted EVERYTHING to the nursing home after my father-in-law's fall. What an ordeal that was!

So once we finish our Christmas celebrations at home, we'll be off to (my grandmother) Nanie's house where the whole family attends on my dad's side. Though this will mark the second year in a row that my cousin, Rickie, has been deployed and unable to join us. Prayers for a safe and speedy return go out to him!!!

Hopefully we'll then be able to call it an early night...as all of the same people will be leaving the next morning for Ohio for my cousin Jason's wedding. So Wednesday we'll be traveling, Thursday is the rehearsal and dinner, Friday is the wedding, and Saturday we'll be headed back home.

Let the games begin!!!!