Christmas at Church

Here is our annual picture in front of the Christmas tree at church. We took it today because we will be unable to make the Christmas Eve service at church this year.

Christmas Fun

Our Christmas season has been fun but certainly one of my favorite activities so far took place last night when Sarah, Jennifer and I managed to get our entire families together for dinner. While it always is a struggle for the three wives to get together, we have only had all husbands, babies and wives together....never. We have had all couples together at once but not since Miss Emma Grace came along. So last night we met in McDonough and had a dinner at Red Lobster. It was a lot of fun and all six of us were happy to celebrate that we are off of work for two weeks ( as we are all school employees). I hope that this could become a yearly tradition for the Rayburn/West/Dillard families. Below we have some pics....

The Happy Crew

The Girls

Nothing Too Exciting But I should Post

It is one day til holiday break and I am so happy about that. While work has been fine, the week has been frustrating. No longer being a traditional classroom teacher comes with its pluses but also its downsides. Since the kids are participating in holiday and end of year activities and tests, my schedule for seeing them this week is very inconsistent. That means I have to stay in my room in case they come. But usually I end up with a bunch of Meredith time set to Christmas music. I appreciate that but I also had some fun activities to do with them for the holidays that aren't getting executed. You take the good with the bad I suppose.

Today I am getting my haircut and I am finally doing something different. After having this shorter hairstyle for a little over a year, I am going to try a bob. I am excited to try something different again. With all the photo opps around the corner with the holidays, let 's hope it is different good or there may be a missing Meredith noticed in Dillard and Griswold Christmas pictures. When I get home, my sister and her husband are coming over. I made cheesy chicken spaghetti for dinner with them tonight. Thanks to Jennifer for the recipe and for advising me to make it in two dishes. There sure was a lot of food produced! We are to play games together tonight and watch the new Muppet special that aired last night.

Tomorrow is the last day of work. I am psyched. In the evening we are meeting Brandon and Lindsay ( my elementary school boyfriend and his wife) for dinner in Buford. Then Saturday we are going to McDonough to meet Sarah and Thomas and Jennifer, Jeremy and Emma Grace for dinner. Sunday will bring the Christmas service at church and then Monday we are keeping Carter all day. The holidays sure do bring some fun times!

Christmas Survey

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I enjoy opening wrapped gifts. I also have become pretty good at wrapping so so far all of Brad's gifts from me are wrapped
2. Real tree or Artificial? I am a firm believer in real trees but my husband isn't so we have a fake. I told him that when I am pregnant one day I will get a real tree and he said I would probably have pregnancy brain and forget....cute :0)
3. When do you put up the tree? It has always varied. When I was at home as a child, maybe around the tenth of December and then when I was at college it got later and later. Dad and I went and found a tree one year for $7 since it was so close to Christmas. Those were special times. This year Brad and I put ours up the day after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? I like to have a birthday tree for my birthday on the 30th so no earlier than the 31st.
5. Do you like eggnog? Have never had it but it sounds gross
6. Favorite gift received as a child? This is hard. My favorite gift was pound Puppy but I got him for my birthday. For Christmas, I got a Cabbage Patch Baby that smelled like baby powder... Alaina Violet was her name
7. Hardest person to buy for? my dad and this year Brad in some ways
8. Easiest person to buy for? my mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail -I did a photo card this year but I have always been the one to send out Christmas cards.....even when we were a family I did it.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't know....
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Muppet Family Christmas - they all go to Fozzie's mother's house. The Sesame street gang, the muppets and fraggles are there. It is great.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? before Thanksgiving a little, In the past few years on Black Friday some and then here and there til I am done
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my mom's apple cake
16. Lights on the tree? colored
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Mary Did You Know
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Travel locally
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all...Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!!!!!!!!!!!!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We do Brad's parents house on Christmas Eve. Otherwise, we wait til Christmas Day. The last three Christmases when Brad and I were together we waited til Christmas night so this will be the first time we get to open our gifts to each other on Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? people without Christmas spirit
23. What theme or color are you using? There are a lot of snowmen in our house.
24. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? my mom's apple cake
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace and time with my family