It’s our tradition to go out for a lovely dinner on Christmas Eve. Last year, we went to The Chart House in Weehawken, NJ and when we came home Gibran proposed. This year, we spent the evening celebrating with close friends at Chakra, in Paramus, an Indian fusion restaurant we’d been dying to try for months. We were joined by my best friend Twanna and her boyfriend James and my adopted little sister Tyrelle. We had so much to celebrate. We toasted to all the year’s triumphs: Our wedding, Twanna’s big promotion, my new job, and Tyrelle passing her nursing exam (that DAY!).
Gibran and I almost always exchange our gifts to each other on Christmas Eve night at midnight. This year, apparently I, Mrs. Claus, nailed it, because he was way too happy about his gifts. (As shown in these pictures of him opening them while I gawk over my new Xbox 360 Kinect games.)
On Christmas morning my family came over for our traditional Christmas breakfast – eggs, potatoes, and mimosas anyone? We decided to host it for the first time so I could have a chance to buy and use a little holiday tableware. (Remember what happened to Gibran and I when we tried to go shopping for holiday stuff at Target?) It was great to kick off the holiday with my Dad and my stepmother Judy. We chowed down and exchanged gifts. My dad loved his golf shoes, Judy freaked out about her Top Chef cookbook, and Gibran unwrapped what would soon become his latest Christmas sweater. My dad and Judy bought us a mini elliptical machine for the house so I’m pumped about continuing my weight loss process for the holiday!
The Dog had a great Christmas too. My dad got Karma one of those awesome Crazy Critters from the commercials and she went nuts over it. (She sleeps with it!) Plus, she got to play with Liam and wear her super cute holiday coat and sweater.
After spending the second half of the day with Gibran’s family and having a lovely dinner there, we spent more QT with Twanna and James and our godson Liam. As the wine flowed, the laughs just kept coming!

Our godson Liam lit up our evening -- first in his sweater, which coordinated perfectly with Gibran's. Then, by chasing Karma around the house all evening in his super-cute holiday PJs.
When the snowpocalypse hit the east coast yesterday we bundled up for some family fun before the snow became too deep for Karma to stand in. She lasted maybe 10 minutes but watching her eat snow really warmed me up. She’s such a cutie patootie!

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I am so behind in the blogs. You know you guys should have a sitcom…
LOL! I would love that. Tip off a TV station! HAHA! Just kidding — Gibran would kill me!
Ummmm where was Arnie in all this celebration? Have you all abandoned him???
Ha! My little brother used up all of his vacation days coming to all the family weddings this year so her was plum out of 'em. That's why we went to bring Thanksgiving to him this year. I missed him like crazy. It felt SO weird without him!
I love all the pictures, you have to tell me how you do the photo collages! My husband got a Kinect too and he was TIRED after using it. It was too funny!
@Tiffany in Houston. Thanks so much! Glad you love the collages (I use Google Picasa free software to make them all.) Try it, so quick, so easy, so fun! If you need any advice on the side on how I used it just shoot me an e-mail.
Yeah we were SO exhausted after using the Kinect. I was like: "Are we getting old? Or is this game just that much more awesome than Wii?" LOL
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Gibran and Liam in those sweaters = too cute!! You guys look so happy!!
I am so behind in the blogs. You know you guys should have a sitcom…
ADRIANA sua filha esta presa por uma paixão e liberdade ao mesmo tempo, esta vendo a vida de uma forma divertida, sem noção da própria vida, pelas atitudes que ela tomou e você, só o tempo se encarregara de fazer ela se amadurecer, não tome nenhuma atitude drastica que ira lhe prejudicar mais ainda, no estado que as coisas estão deixe ela levar a vida que escolheu por livre e espontânea vontade, sei que você ira sofrer como mãe, mais não piore mais as coisas, ela sempre vai estar do lado dele, até o dia que ela enxergar sua própria realidade, peça a DEUS para envolver seu mentor espiritual, para que ele possa ajudá-la, e siga sua vida em frente, não deseje mal a ela nos momentos de raiva, esfrie a cabeça, e busque ver a vida por um outro ângulo, abraços.