Christmas with my family.

This year, for the first time in 7 years, I was able to spend Christmas in Iowa with my family. I had a 4 day weekend at Salomon with Christmas day and th 26th off as paid holidays. I had planned to leave Wednesday right after work and arrive home on Christmas morning. On Tuesday afternoon we got a pleasant surprise from the President of our company. We all received an email that the offices would also be closed on Wednesday, the 24th as an extra paid holiday!!! This meant I could leave for Iowa an entire day early and arrive on Christmas eve for even more time with my family.

Due to bad roads and crazy weather the drive took me 20 hours this time. In anticipation of the holiday and my arrival my sister was spending Christmas Eve at my parents' house also. I just saw her a month ago but she sure had gotten a lot bigger in 4 short weeks!!!

Since my mom had to work Christmas morning we opened presents on Christmas eve when I got there. My sister has always been the present passer-outer and the tradition continued even though she's 8 and a half months pregnant.

I love this stocking, my grandma made it for me when I was in sixth grade. And look at that pile of presents in front of me!!! They are all mine, I wasn't expecting any since the trip home was my present and I came on such short notice. It was a great surprise.

This is my mom, dad and Sophie waiting to open presents. I got some pretty sweet stuff. I'll post more pictures later...I have to go right now, a Warren Miller movie is starting on TV!!!