My Christmas was very non-traditional

Okay. So most people enjoy some sort of holiday tradition around this time of year. My Christmaswas anything but. I haven't had a "traditional Christmas" in, oh, I would say about, 10 years or so.

My parents, my brother, and my youngest daughter live in Live Oak, FL, so they do the "traditional Christmas" thing still. I don't get to see them very often, but I do try and send them gifts. I ordered two things from Amazon.com for my brother, a thumb drive he was desperately wanting and a paperback book he wanted to read. Now he is hinting for book two in the series. Go figure! LOL

I sent my daughter and her fiance a couple of large jar candles from Yankee Candle as they are both into candles. My daugfhter also got a calendar I found that was rather funny and inspirational.

I mailed some gifts off to my parents as well. I got my dad a "special" gift, just for him because I send my mom a ton of books throughout the year to read and donate to the library at the "old folks home" where she works. My dad is a huge fan of the Peanuts, so I sent him two coffee mugs with hot chocolate mix just for him. He said it didn't take him long to start using those mugs either! He loved them. They both got three gifts together, which my brother had to help them with, as I told him he would. I got them a digial photo frame, a USB card reader and an SD card with photos on it for the frame. They were so thrilled to have pictures of the grandkids, the great grandkids, etc. that they sat and watched it for a couple of hours.

I also sent the same thing for my mother-in-law. She couldn't wait to get everything set up and plug in the SD card. She told me that all she kept saying was that she hoped there were pictures on the card! I laughed when she told me she got excited to see pictures of three of her four boys (Scott lives in Texas so I don't have pictures of him to give her), her grandkids, and the great grandkids, etc.

I gave my oldest daughter the same calendar as my youngest, a notepad/pencil/coffee mug set, and a Hoops and YoYo insulated coffee mug. (She has been driving me nuts for close to a year after seeing mine and trying to steal it from me!!) The mug actually has a button you press and Hoops and YoYo start singing some silly song - "I'm drinking my cofgee out of my mug that talks to me. It talks to me. I'm drinking my coffee and then I'll have to, I'll have to pee. I'll have to pee." Laughing "You can't say that." "Why not? It's true isn't it?" (Okay, so I have listened to my mug a few ties too many! LOL)

My son-in-law recieved a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart so he can buy what he wants or needs. I Just didn't know what to get him, so he had to settle.

I gave my father-in-law the same thing. A $25 gift card to Wal-Mart. He prefers Lowe's Hardware, but since we now own his house and he is renting a place, he doesn't need those Lowe's gift cards anymore. We do! LOL

I sent Tracy's brother Scott a couple of gifts this year. I made him a blanket with a pretty angel scene on and a wire angel. He collects angels. He hasn't opened it yet as he is off on a cruise for Christmas.

I gave my daughter's sister-in-law and her mother-in-law a decorative Christmas plate. Sue, the sister-in-law, got the snowman plate while Kay, the mother-in-law, got the sleigh ride scene plate.

I gave my best friend's husband a bottle of Jack Daniels. It went straight into the freezer. I also gave my best friend a set of sunflower tealight candle holders and a set of Aqua Globes. (She was jealous of mine, and I couldn't tell her that I had ordered two sets, one for me and one for her.) She was estatic!!

I got my husband a Creative Zen 8gb mp3 player and leather case for Christmas. Actually, we both got one. I also got him a couple of tiny nutcrackers - Darth Vader and Yoda. He hasn't actually opened them as he in Joplin, MO right now.

My grandkids got the most, of course. Both of them got a craft's DVD, an easel and some books. My granddaughter also got a pink and clear bag filled with hair thingys, some puzzles, the newest Tinkerbell DVD (her favorite even though she has never seen it!), and three dinner type toys. One she can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fill the lunch box, a macaroni and cheese set, and a hot chocolate set. My grandson got a dump truck, a Cars cell phone, some small wooden toys, a Cookie Monster and book set, a Cars table setting (plate, bowl and cup), and a My First Story Reader.

So far I have recived a few gifts. I got a handmade ornament from one of the boys on my bus while another one got me a handtowel with a gingerbread house on it. I got a tin of cookies, some candy and a necklace with a bell on it from co-workers, and two 6 packs of Party Lite votive candles from a Bzz Agent in the big BzzSwap. My son-in-law's mom gave a tote bag filled with some Avon bath stuff and another small tote. My best friend's brother and his wife gave me and Tracy a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle. (They can't afford much and I didn't expect a single thing from them so this was a huge surpise to me!) My best friend gave me a Chia Herb Garden so I can get a head start on my herbs for next year.  In their big stocking they got me a set of 4 emory boards and Tracy got a set of nuts and bolts (which I will put to good use.) Tracy has picked up three gifts for me, but I won't get them until he gets home. Whenever that may be. He has been out on the road for 4 weeks. (He also missed Thanksgiving.)

I spent all day yesterday at my best friend's house. We had a huge meal of turkey, ham, corn, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and rolls. For desert there was apple spice bread, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, lemon pie, pound cake and chocolate chip cookies. They also made some sausage and cream cheese biscuit things for an appetizer.

All in all, I had a nice Christmas, even though it wasn't a traditional Christmas. I didn't even bake cookies this year. I just wasn't in the mood to bake as I wasn't really in the "Christmas spirit". No sugar cookies, no Chocolate No-Bakes, no Kifles, no Raspberry Jam, no liquor balls. Sad, I know. Oh well. Maybe next year.

So that is how my Christmas has been. I hope that everyone had a great holiday and is looking forward to a great new year.