What's On My Happy List?

Christmas Week! Part II

You certainly have to love seafood to be a Cooper ! Every Christmas Eve we have the most delicious seafood feast that is every bit as good as anything you would get at a seafood restaurant. Seriously. It is seafood heaven! We ate crab, lobster, shrimp scampi, tempura shrimp, stuffed mushrooms, cous cous...then Grandma's bread pudding or our homemade French pastries (see below) for dessert. It was delightful!

Here is Hannah holding one of the biggest crab legs I've ever seen. I was so happy that she was able to enjoy the festivities as much as she did. The poor thing woke up crying Christmas Eve morning with an ear ache. I took her to insta care later that afternoon and sure enough she had an ear infection. Six days prior we had just been into the doctors with Brie who also had an ear infection. My kids haven't had ear infections in YEARS, so it was so odd to have two within a week. Some funky virus...

Brie stuffing her face with cold shrimp...YUM!

After our feast we played our traditional, crazy, Christmas gift exchange game. It is so much fun! We walked away with Disney bucks, cash, gift cards to mall stores, restaurants, Cabellas, movie passes. i-tunes, toys, games, food...

Emma managed to walk away with the coveted new nutcracker.... The girls in their new PJ's and Fancy Nancy Christmas book and doll....We love Fancy Nancy around here!

I even hopped in for a pic with my new comfy PJ bottoms...

Daddy reading "The Night Before Christmas" ....the girls sprinkled reindeer food out on the front lawn and left Santa milk and oreos. His absolute favorite!

Christmas morning....

What did Santa bring?

The cutest barbie house and 50th anniversary Barbie doll for Brie...V-tech explorer globe, and a bucket of art supplies and activity books..Hannah wants her bed as comfy as her parents so she asked Santa for a Serta foam mattress. What a funny kid! A new bedspread, Franklin Speller, Crayola Crayon Maker and art supplies were her other main gifts....

Bare Escentuals Starter Kit and make up from Sephora, new coat, wallet and gift card for Kyleigh...

Cell phone, bathrobe, Bamboo computer art pad and fashion designer kit for Emma....

Santa left all the girls the Wii DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) They have spent hours playing it and absolutely love it. I even joined in on the fun! The girls and Jaren laughed their heads off watching me try to move my big fat bootie to the beat up in grandma's front room. Believe me, I was a sight to behold!

We had a lovely Christmas morning, topped off with our traditional brunch with yummy breakfast casseroles, bacon, fruit, and assortment of breads... CAN YOU TELL WE LOVE FOOD AROUND HERE?

On our way to Grandma and Grandpa Bell's that afternoon to see all the cousins.... Visiting with family...Christ is the reason for the season...

Knowing this Christmas was going to be especially difficult for my brother Brad, who lost his wife a few months ago, my siblings and I wanted to do something special for him. We gave him this 18" Christus, a replica of the one at the North Visitor Center at Temple Square. We also gave him this quote...."The sweetest, tenderest, happiest homes are not those where there has been no sorrow, but those that have been overshadowed with grief and where Christ's comfort has been accepted." Gary Ceran aka Bob Crachit in "A Christmas Carol" at the Hale Theatre. (He lost his wife and two children in a car accident on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago) It was a very tender and touching moment for all of us.