Christmas Celebrations

Wow, it's over (well, not really...the 12 days of Christmas have just started) but the main event has passed.  Ours was crazy, as usual.  I can't believe it.  Last year I had several blog posts about my favorite Christmas stories and songs and memories that were long and elaborate.  I didn't really rise to the occasion this year, mostly because I have a job and in December last year I didn't!  So I did my best, I guess! 

On Christmas Eve we spend the evening at Justin's aund and uncle's house.  It is a night of excessive eating.  There is always a traditional visit from Santa!   

That is nephew Dylan getting his present from Santa!  It's so funny watching the kids and how astounded they are! 

I made Justin pose for a Christmas photo!

We arrived back at my parents' house around 11, where my extended family was still opening gifts!  I was glad to make it back so my grandparents could see us open our gifts from them. 

On Christmas morning I woke up early, as I always do!  I admit I still love the idea of presents under the tree and in the stockings!  It is a remnant of childhood that I will always keep with me I think...

 Presents!  Haha.  I got some good ones, including a fancy sewing machine from Justin. 

I caught poor Jakey lurking outside the window.  I'm sure he could hear the commotion and wanted to be inside with us!

It didn't take long for the house to start resembling an episode of the TV show "Hoarders"!  Don't worry, those bags of trash were discarded in a timely manner!

Around lunch time more visitors came and we had another round of presents and festivities.  

 My aunt Kris gave me these very nice potholders!  I love them! 

My grandma surprised me with an ornament that has hung on her tree for about 26 years...it is a framed baby picture of me!

It was around the time when darkess was descending when an unusual event happened.  We were sitting in the living room and Justin noticed that something strange was running by outside the window!  It was a horse...and another horse!  And then more horses!  Someone's horses were on the loose and roaming the countryside.  They explored the yard, checked out Dad's new shop (it doesn't have doors yet) and finally got down to business grazing in the pasture (yes, there is a pasture although it hasn't been used for grazing animals since the 1960's!).  My mom called our neighbor who lives down the road about 2 miles and owns horses but no one was home.  The horses, although gigantic, were calm and not hurting anything so we just went back to our festivities.
 

They spent the night and continued to mill around the yard until the neighbor showed up the next day, most likely after following the trail these huge animals blazed in the snow.  Justin and I were celebrating Christmas with his family in Grand Forks (pictures of this will come later...there were babies there so I thought I'd give that Christmas a separate post) so we missed the action. 

He had a bucket of food and called out to them and the gathered around!  Then he started to lead them down the driveway!

Soon they started walking on their own toward their home!  I love how they got in a single file line!  They seemed like nice animals and made a very idyllic scene when they were calmly grazing surrounded by the frosted trees!  I'm glad their owner found them so they could get home!