It's Christmas Eve! (and ten other Christmas facts)

Fact #1: Christmas break started on Friday. This was me during the final half hour of school...

"It's coming."

Fact #2: If you need any last minutes gifts, you might be interested to know that these are a thing:

Fact #3: It's not truly Christmas until you've had to cut a large hole in your bedroom wall to fix a plumbing problem.

Car trouble, emergency room visits, and broken major appliances are also great ways to usher in the holidays (we haven't had those just yet, but if you have, I think you've met your quota, and I pray that's all you have to deal with).

Fact #4: Here are the puzzles we've done so far this season:

Rumor has it Santa is bringing the Thomas Kincaid Mulan puzzle...

Fact #5: Gingerbread houses Rounds 1 & 2:

Fact #6: The other day our van hit 100,000 miles! We put far more than the average 12,000 miles per year on our van. 

We may have taken the long way home just so we could watch it turn from 999,999 to 100,000.

Fact #7: My kids have always had Christmas trees in their rooms. I had a set of Alpine trees I got on clearance at Jo-Ann several years ago. I had a 3', 4', & 5' tree. Earlier this year I got rid of them so we could free up space to finish our basement. I knew my kids would be really upset when they learned I got rid of the trees, so I bought each of them a smaller tree with a set of battery operated lights and some decorations. 

Nicky didn't handle it well. He's a stickler for tradition. 

(After a few weeks, he changed his mind, and next year he will be in full support of the "new" trees).

Fact #8: On Sunday night we had cousins sleepover. This was how things looked at 8:00 pm:

We laid out their bedding, popped popcorn, and turned on The Little Mermaid. We truly believed they would watch the movie and fall asleep by 10:00 at the latest. 

Yeah, we are idiots. 

Fact #9: Even though Disneyland is decorated to the nines for Christmas, it didn't actually feel like Christmas while we were there. It felt pretend (70 degree weather does that for a Utahan). However, it was really nice to have that week-long break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas at home. I love Christmas, but it starts to feel a little heavy as time goes on, so stepping away for a minute was great. We missed six big Christmas events that week (three dance performances and three parties), and it was amazing how much stress was lifted.

Don't worry, though, it was made up for by my kids being in my personal space for over a week straight and Scotty going out of town for work (Washington DC) the day after we got back. 

Do you see why I was laying in my bed eating french fries moments before Christmas break?

Fact #10: I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! Remember, no feeding the gremlins after midnight.