I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite

Christmas Day started at my parent's house with coffee and biscuits with homemade sausage gravy using the maple breakfast sausage Husband made the day before.  It was a delicious, stick-to-your-bones meal.

It was a relaxing morning and Mom had to be at church at 10am.  So while she was singing her heart out, my dad, Bubba (my brother), Husband and I sat around chatting about Christmases of yesteryear.  When Mom got home, we gathered into the living room for presents!  I have to say, Santa was very good to me this year.  I'm not sure I deserve everything I received, but I am so thankful.  One of the big ticket items was a new down comforter from my family to me & Husband.  It has made SUCH a difference in the quality of our sleep.

The comforter we had before was/is older than I am (26+ yr old), so well loved that the feathers no longer live in the middle of the blanket.  They have worked their way to the edges and never looked back.

The new one is fluffy, and WARM!  AND it's baffled which I learned means that it has quilted boxes so the feathers don't move all around.  Yessss!  And it's soft, granted it's always going to be covered by a duvet but still, that good thread count will help this comforter last for the long haul.

I am excited about the comforter.  This was the first year I felt like I was able to get other people multiple gifts.  It warmed my heart to see everyone's smiling faces.

In the afternoon, we headed to the movies to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie.  It was entertaining even though everyone I know keeps telling me in the books Sherlock Holmes is not quite the action figure he is in the film.

Later in the evening, Husband and I headed over to his family's house for dinner and gifts.  It's fun taking part in two families' Christmas, seeing how each family experiences the day.

We sat in their living room and opened gifts and sipped on wine.  Margaret being the dear she is, invited her co-worker over for dinner because she was alone on the holiday.  Soon after she arrived it was time for dinner.

Dinner at the In-Laws is always delicious and always a lot of fun.  We had ham, roasted sweet potatoes and cabbage.  It was warm and comforting, and the conversation was fun and funny.

After dinner, Husband and I headed home to snuggle and watch Christmas movies.  It was a family filled day, and I loved every minute of it.

I hope your holidays filled your heart and renewed your spirit too.