Dec 29, 2014

SUMMING UP CHRISTMAS




Christmas has come and gone again

The Odom family had a great Christmas. I don't know how to respectfully represent it here in a blog post. Having older children that have to work on the actual day that says "Christmas" on the calendar takes some getting used to. Brooke, who is a flight attendant was scheduled to work days just before and after Christmas. Brittany, who is a NICU nurse, and low on the totum pole was scheduled to work on Christmas Eve night and the day after Christmas. Fortunately, they both had four days off before Christmas Eve.  So we celebrated the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Christmas. 

I had all of my girls home and I loved it. I didn't care what day it was or what the calendar said.  All of the BF's were there too. So it was noisy, messy and so much fun! 

So here is how we celebrated Christmas, and then some:



We had our house decorated early this year and we all enjoyed our nights watching TV with the Christmas tree and fireplace glowing. 





Bubbles loves sleeping under the tree. 
Somehow this year the cat ornaments were on the bottom branches and Bubbles ended up claiming it as his spot. 




I took a few pictures with my iPhone of some of the other decorations in the house, they aren't great pictures...

























We have a big southern front porch.
It is a lot of upkeep, but I love decorating it for Christmas. 
This year I stuffed our (decorative) mailbox with greenery and presents. 




This is what the door area looked like. It has looked the same for several years. I wanted to do something different this year, but honestly just got lazy.  
Maybe next year. 









(We had about fifteen minutes of snow - look closely and you can see the snowflakes.)


The snowman's head turns back and forth and I think it bothered the dogs. 
Charlie and Lola spent most nights going in and out........and they were not all that coordinated.



They spent most of days waiting by the front door waiting to be let out. 





Barrett is such a trooper. 
I am so blessed to have her as my daughter. 
Many days after school, she went shopping with me and tried on things for the older girls.
Shopping for three girls is very very hard. 





 A few times, Art would leave work and come by the mall to meet us for dinner at Brio.
(There some benefits to being the only child at home!)





Barrett and I love cooking together and one night, of course while Art was out of town and it was pouring rain and very very cold, she cut the tip of her finger OFF.....
as in a part of her finger was on the counter
( I have pictures if you wan to see them!)

We both were in shock.

There was an unbelievable amount of blood for over four hours, a lot of squealing, a lot of debate about going to the ER and I am pretty sure we both saw stars at the same time. 
We rallied and gathered ourselves.

No stitches required, because there was nothing to stitch back together!





Barrett's finger made doing things a little difficult. 
She worked on our "house" the next night. 
I guess technically our house can't be called a gingerbread house because it is not gingerbread. 
Several years ago I found this plastic form and it has been a lot of fun decorating year after year. 
I took a gingerbread house baking/making class many years ago and before finding this house I designed and made houses from scratch.
One day I hope to do it again, but until then this one will do. 





Barrett wanted this year's house to be fun and preppy, because her upcoming cookie exchange
was going to have a preppy theme. 





Love the iced animal crackers as the roof!



















Barrett did a great job planning her cookie exchange.
 Twenty friends from her school came on Saturday morning. 





She made cranberry oatmeal cookies.



















Saturday afternoon Brooke got home from DC. 
Mr. E came with her.




We had what we called "Odom Eve" on Sunday night.
One of Brooke's oldest and best friends came and spent some time with us. 
She and Brooke went to preschool together. 
She is in the peace corps and we haven't seen her in a long long time.





BF1 also came.
(Brittany got home earlier Sunday after working the night shift Saturday night. 






I loved just hanging back and watching all of my girls catch up with each other and have fun with everyone else. 



Monday morning was our Christmas.






Mr E was up early and even wore his Christmas sweater! 
He was excited about his helicopter Brooke gave him! 




Art made his traditional fresh from the farm sausage and biscuits. 
He has been doing this since the two older girls were toddlers and the girls always insist on this tradition to be carried out every year. 








(we also have punch!)


We stayed in our PJ's for most of the day and played games. 





Tuesday evening we had to stop pretending and had to get back to real life. 
Brittany had to return to her apartment and get ready for working the night shift on Christmas Eve. 
Brooke went on call at midnight and had to go back to DC.


So the real Christmas Eve was quiet. 
I sat on the porch because it was warm - too warm.
There were moths flying around the snowflake lights and the frogs were caroling in the woods. 




We (Art, Barrett and I) went to my dad's house on Christmas Day.
Brittany met us there.

 We took the dogs and cat with us because when we left there we were driving to the beach house. 
Lola was totally rocking her Santa bow! 
She is such a priss pot. 




It was beautiful at the beach! 
Art played golf everyday and Barrett and I walked on the beach and looked for shells. 









We are home in Raleigh now for a few days, but are headed back to the beach for New Year's . 
We are having an oyster roast there with family and friends.
There'll be plenty - so come if you can!












































































Dec 12, 2014

MID HOLIDAY UPDATE





I guess I better get my Thanksgiving pictures out into the world before the holidays are over or at least before Christmas.
We decorated our two Christmas trees the weekend before Thanksgiving. We usually wait until the Sunday after Thanksgiving and do it as a family, but our weekends this year are full and my two older girls have work schedules to work around. 

We were into the holiday spirit early this year.

Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, some of Art's family came and had dinner with us. 



Lola really tied one on that night! 


On Thanksgiving Day we went to my father's house and had dinner with my family. 
(I sure do miss my mom.)

My little family officially celebrated Thanksgiving on Saturday. 
The biggest thing I have learned with my children growing up, working and no longer living at home is that the date on the calendar is just a number.
Their professions do not have typical nine to five hours...
nurses and flight attendants usually work on holidays.
We celebrate when we can.

That being said, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Both Brittany and Brooke had the weekend after Thanksgiving off.
Mr. E came with Brooke from DC and they spent the weekend here in Raleigh. 
(Mr. E is Brooke's boyfriend.)
Brittany's boyfriend, BF1, also was able to come and eat with us too. 
(He lives here in Raleigh.)
My aunt (mom's sister) also came. 









I have roasted a lot of turkeys, but this one was the largest and by far the bet one yet. 





After dinner we attempted to get the perfect Christmas card picture, but that ended up being a major FAIL!

Christmas cards will go out l.a.t.e this year and I am not so sure how they are going to turn out. 
bummer


The next day we took Mr. E to Homewood Nursery to look at all of the poinsettias.
They have greenhouses full of them.




It is the place to go to get into the Christmas spirit. 





The pups were exhausted after the two older girls left and Barrett went back to school on Monday.
Literally, I don't think they moved!









We struggled to get back into a routine.

Barrett has been so busy at school.  
She is exempt from all of her exams for the semester so she doesn't have to go in next week and 
today was her last day of school! 
Unfortunately, she was bombarded with tests all this week. 

Bubbles and I sat on her bathroom floor and called out AP European History terms while she took a shower. 
It is called multitasking.






What will I do with my evenings when she goes to college next year? 
Am I going to miss this? 



Art, my wonderful husband, packed up a few shirts and a pair of khakis and went to Las Vegas for five days for a vacation conference.
The day he got home, someone at work gave him a very large cooler of fresh oysters. 
With it just being the three of us here at home.....we roasted and ate oysters three nights in a row.  




They were delicious!





The house is all decorated and I have put a good dent in my wrapping. 
Bubbles always loves sleeping under the tree, and this year he plants himself under the two cat ornaments to nap.




Charlie... 



is just hanging around waiting on Santa.......



or another piece of turkey..... and will be happy with which ever comes first.