Christmas came and went...

We're in North Carolina and loving it. The weather's been great - until today. It's raining, but apparently they need rain around here. Personally, I could do with a break from rain, as it hasn't stopped in Chesham in about 3 years. But ah well.

We've barely been out of my parents' house since we got here. We've been doing mostly family Christmas stuff, but as I write this, Cat, Dan, and Simon are taking showers and we're about to brave the roads to head up to Raleigh to explore. I love 777 Miller Road but am ready to branch out now, after 3 days of it!

I tried to go for a run with Dan and Simon this morning but I wimped out a fourth of the way round our block. They finished without me, and I did some walking instead, in the pouring-down rain. At least the extreme weather made me feel pretty hardcore.

Monday - Christmas Eve - we played a pretty fun game that Simon made up especially for the occasion. We all went to Wal-Mart and had half an hour to buy each person a gift for no more than $3. Here are some highlights:
I bought these pretty awesome teeth for dad for 88 cents for four sets! What a deal! He would only wear them if I did too, so....

Dad bought Simon this flaming bandana(sp?). I think Dad also bought Dan a bandana - he must have found them on sale somewhere. Dan won the game cause he only spent a total of $5.64 on gifts for 5 people!!






Other great gifts included:

-play-doh(from Dan to Cat)
-travel tags(from me to Simon - it took us about half an hour to claim our luggage at the airport this time)
-a light saber (from Simon to Dad)

Mom really racked up with things she actually liked, like nice pens, fuzzy socks, and some special binder pencil holder thing that Dan bought her (dorky teachers).

Christmas Eve night we also made a great meal. Mom did a ham and I made macaroni and cheese(Cat's favourite) and my special roast vegetables. Seriously, look how pretty they are:


Christmas morning was fun. Mom and Dad had told us not to wake up early cause Benson is apparently Santa's last stop before returning to the North Pole, but at 7:30 am Dad was already blasting his James Taylor Christmas album.

Highlights of my Christmas present-opening were some really cool boots that Simon bought me and was really nervous about giving me for some reason; and a book from Cat called something like The Original Handy Book for Girls that tells you how to do all kinds of things like decorating a sea-side cottage and making a pilgrim costume for Thanksgiving.






The chaos.
Dad, Dan, and Simon in their matching jean jackets.