Happily married for 12 years. Rog is a fulltime FireFighter, as well as the training officer for the volunteer department in our community. Firefighting is not just a job, it is a way of life - for the firefighter, as well as the family of one. It is an adjustment, an attitude you have to have. You have to be ready to let him go at a moments notice, without knowing when to expect him back home. You have to let go of your 'what-if' fears and stand proud of who he is.
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Greater love hath no man than this, a man that lay his life down for his friends. John 15:13
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as a homeschool mom...
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Being a homeschooling mom to 9 year old girl/boy twins is not much easier than being the wife of a Firefighter, but God placed me here for some reason, so I might as well enjoy the ride! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
SUNDAY: Rog worked at the station, the kiddos and I hung out at the house and cleaned! We ate dinner at mom and dad's and stayed over there WAY to late playing cards.
MONDAY: Rog came home from work - we were all still in bed asleep - he had been up all night on a house fire, so he was tired and he crawled back into bed. We all slept until about 10:30. We got up and rushed around to get ready to go to my mom;s for lunch at noon. We had sandwiches for lunch and then the kiddo's got to open presents (and the adult's too!). Mom and Dad got me a game called Eat It! and so me and Sis and Mom played that while Rog and Dad got the food and stuff ready for Grandpa's house.
We headed out there for our big Christmas Dinner (which is why we had sammiches at mom's). Everyone was at Grandpa's house except one of my cousin's hubby's. Even without him, there was 26 of us. We had a great dinner and time of visiting, and then the kiddos (ok and the adults too) got to open more presents.
We left there and drove around for a while looking at Christmas lights, and ended up at my Meme's and Pepaw's house. Meme is home - out of the hospital and out of the nursing home - home - doing quite well. She is feeling good, and getting around pretty good. She was happy to have all of us there on Christmas Eve like we have done for as long as can remember. We open a few gifts there, then the kiddos go play while the adultsplay dirty santa. We started this a few years ago - when we all got to a point where no one knew what to get anyone else. We each buy $50 gift cards - where ever we want them from - it can be one $50 or ten $5 cards - we wrap them and play dirty santa with them. (For those of you who are unfamilair with Dirty Santa - this is how we play -everyone draws a number - you can start with number 1 or the last number - whoever goes first gets their pick of the stack. They open it, show what they have, then number 2 goes. Number 2 can pick one from the stack OR take number 1's gift. If they take number ones, hen number one gets to pick again - once more have been opened, if your gift is taken, then you can chose from whatever is open or pick one from the table. In the past, we have played where the gift could only be stolen twice - thrid person to possess the gift was it's owner. This year we played 'No Rules' meaning there was no 'owner' until the game ended when the last gift was picked up). We play this with my parents, aunt and uncle, sister and 2 cousins and their spouses, and Rog and I of course...we have sooo much fun. DS can be played with anything, but we chose the set amount GC so everyone gets the equivalant of what they came with. This year's hot gc's were $50 at Kohls and $50 at Academy Sports as well as 2 different $50 Best Buy cards. We playd for over an hour....laughing and all the entire time. I ended up with $50 at WalMart - Rog said no groceries with it - I have to buy something for me and he ended up with one of the Best Buy cards. We always have such a good time. One of the 'traditions' of the game has become -my aunt gets $10-$15 cards and makes a package of $50 - well, she usually goofs and one lucky winner goes home with $55-$60 instead of just the $50...but her cards are always places silly, so you really have to think if you want the one with more money or somewhere a little more practical.
It was finally time to go home - and unload...and go to bed! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus that comes to our house...thankfully the kiddos crashed pretty quickly so we got to take care of that before we went to bed.
TUESDAY: Santa visited here - and he left the kddos BB Guns, along with other things, but the BBGuns were their biggie. We were still in bed when Ry got up. I heard him go down the hall to the den, thenI heard him come running back down the hall, around our room to Rog's side of the bed and woke his dad up - he was so excited. He asked if he could go wake Sis up, about that time here she comes saying she was up what was going on. They had a great time tearing thru things...once we got gifts opened (I got 2 pair of long jammies and some houseshoes!) Rog and I spent some time opening their toys (my poor thumb!). His mom made us homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, so we did stop for a yummy breakfast. My parents came by to see the kiddos in all of their excitment.
After we got thru with this mornings doings, we loaded up and went to the in-laws. We hang out there for a good part of the day, open gifts (TONS OF GIFTS) have the traditional pile-up in the paper (I will post a picture on Sat with my photohunters post), then have a yummy dinner! We usually spend the entire day Christmas Day with Rog's family - just hanging out and having a good time.
I. like most blogs and other places I have read, LOVE Christmas, but I am SO glad it is over this year...I just wasn't into it for some reason.
Sorry this post is lacking in the pics - things really moved too fast for pics (and my camera battery was dead for most of it).
One last disclaimer - if you do not agree with the way we do things around here or do not like the way we do things around here - fine, I am not saying you have to. Please do not leave any negative comments on my blog - this is my family and how my hubby and I have agreed to do things. Thanks.
