Christmas Miracles

Miracle 1: On Thursday we decided to close the office for Friday.  Which was perfect, I could clean all day for a nice relaxing Christmas weekend.

Miracle 2:  On Friday morning after several days of rain and unseasonably warm temps I woke up to a light snow fall. (it didn't last, but it made for a fun start to the Christmas weekend and put me in a festive mood)

This is the view outside my kitchen window - The house next to us was the Church for our house back in the 1900's.  It is made up of three small buildings. I want to buy it some day for family visitors - we are connected by a little path through the bushes.

Miracle 3:  After setting up the kids and their friend who had slept over in our little house -  (Setting up required me to haul the vacuum outside, cleaning it, turning the fireplace on to heat the place up, getting a Christmas movie, popcorn, and blankets.)

Perfect for noisy kids!

Then with an empty house,  I got started on cleaning.  After several hours, I had gotten completely done, was upstairs in my daughters bedroom, and suddenly had the worst headache ever.  It was a combination of too much caffeine, no food, and cleaning product fumes.  Plus I was oddly feeling a little melancholy all of a sudden - like I was missing something.
I was in my grubbiest pajamas, hair a mess, no makeup on and having a bit of a breakdown.  I was really emotional and mad at myself for letting the little messes get to me, was bitching about- get this, fingerprints on my daughters' DS. When I turned around thinking that someone was about to come into the room that I could yell at and there stood -

MY MOM.
In a red sweater with Santa on it, and then right behind her,
MY DAD

WHO LIVE IN FLORIDA.

Who Drove 24 hours to SURPRISE US!  For Christmas!

All I could manage to say was, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??!" and then I started crying and we were hugging.  (In the middle of a cleaning freak-down, yelling at my kids, un-showered and in my pajamas.)
My parents are adorable.  They had been planning this for months, and NO ONE knew. They even made reservations at the hotel across from us, and brought their own little Christmas tree for their room.

When they came into the house they saw one of the girls and gave her a hug and shushed her (Then I'm sure just followed the sound of my ranting from upstairs) My daughter proceeded to go to her sisters room in disbelief to tell her that Nannie and Grandpa were there.  Her sister said no way, it's probably just someone else and she said "NO, smell me, they just hugged me!"  (My Mom and Dad are the best smelling people in the world -  outside of my family including the cats - we smell like cinnamon - once my Dad was staying with us and got into my brother's car, and he said, "Dad, you smell like a cinnamon bun".  My son has begged me to stop using or buying cinnamon scented anything because the kids kept telling him how good he smells. - apparently not a good thing to smell nice)

The hubby had left a few moments before my parents arrived to grab something from the store (his 10th trip in one day) when my Mom called him (before they surprised me) - she was making sure we would be home.  So when he walked into the house and saw them he was so shocked.  It was fun to see his expression because it was exactly how I felt.

Miracle 3: On Christmas Eve morning, my Mom and I went in search of food for my bare unprepared cupboards.  Little did I know she had strict instructions to keep me there awhile so the hubby and my Dad could set up my 2nd Christmas Surprise.
The hubby and I had seen a red vintage chrome table in a shop window a week before and I was instantly in love.  I had even taken my sister in law to see it a few days later but it was gone.  (She knew he had gotten it and did a GREAT job of convincing me it might be in the back of the closed store)
My Mom had no idea that when I go to the grocery store, I do not mess around.  She even stalled in the frozen food section by searching way too long for Brussel sprouts.  When we got home everyone was in the kitchen with my new table!  I was shocked.

Christmas Eve we had plans to go to my brother's for a large family party.  I could barely contain my excitement until my parents walked in to everyone's shock and surprise.  This was the best Christmas Eve party we have ever had.  The food was awesome, one of the cousins had gotten engaged, we played our traditional DIRTY PICTIONARY game and had the best $15 gift exchange known to man.  My Mom and Dad had Santa sacks filled with tropical ornaments and even gifts for the dogs.

Christmas Day started at 5:30am and was spent in pajamas.  We played with the kids toys, several hands of cards and watched movies.

The SURPRISE Electric Guitar was a Hit!

My Flamingo lover daughter LOVED her Flamingo (on display in background)

Today we had Spaghetti dinner at my other brother's house to complete the weekend and decided that next Christmas we might all descend on my parents in Florida and they looked like the happiest parents in the world.
This truly was a miraculous Christmas.  With each person planning surprises for someone else and everything working out perfectly.  I think we all had some very special guardian angels looking out for us and I am so Thankful!

Could my Mom be any prettier?