Christmas 2012: What She Got

We’ve already seen how good Santa was this year to Hubby, since he had lots of nice things to open on Christmas morning. But now it’s my turn.

And I think that I scored big-time.

First of all, let me just remind you again that I married a thoughtful, romantic man. If it matters to me, it matters to him. He said that he needed some time to set things up out in the living room, so I showered and got ready for the day.

And then I got back in some pajamas. Because it’s Christmas!

When he finally came to get me, he was holding a giant cup of hot chocolate for me. And then he walked me down the hall, and I saw a crackling fire awaiting me on the couch.

Yep, on the couch. That’s how nice it is to have laptop fireplaces! He was also playing my favorite Christmas music by Andy Williams. It almost felt like I was coming down the hall as an excited kid again!

He makes hot chocolate with milk. Why am I only discovering this creamy goodness in the past few months?

My life will never be the same. This stuff is sooooooooo goooooooood.

First, I opened a present from our best friends, Ted and Ann. My look was due to the fact that we told them not to get us anything for Christmas, but they did anyway.

Now that is true friendship!

Ann and I are always talking about how fun it is to get our nails done, and she actually did something about it by giving me a gift card to her favorite salon. I always feel so pampered when I get a manicure, so this was just one of the many ways that she was telling me that she listens and cares!

I have insisted that she go with me when I use it. She is all in.

One of our favorite things to do with Ted and Ann is to eat. Of course.

This year, we got them a gift card to Fox Restaurants Concepts, which could be used for anything from Sauce to True Food Kitchen to Culinary Dropout to The Arrogant Butcher to Olive and Ivy to Blanco Tacos. We plan to go along with them, of course.

Because they can’t get rid of us that easily!

So they returned the favor and got us a gift card to Brio Tuscan Grill…a place I haven’t been! Just more proof of how well Ann listens to me, because I love trying new eating joints!

Ann gave me a copy of one of her favorite books. This is actually on our Book Club list, so now I won’t have to track it down from the library or digitally when it’s time to read!

Hubby opened some corn nuts, but I think that I got a better deal from Steve and Amy.

When we visited them in Arkansas a few years ago, we stopped for a treat at The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. So Steve and Amy know that I love that place!

I have never tried the Peanut Butter Pails. Please allow me to say that they made all of my wildest dreams come true.

I am sad to admit that these are already gone. But I would like to additionally admit that I shared them all! No, really!

But the fun from Arkansas didn’t stop there! They know that I love to bake…

…and got me this adorable apron that is supposed to remind of our wonderful trip to visit them! It says, “Merry Christmas, Y’all!”

I love it. So thoughtful!

Next I opened the present from my parents. My Mom kept saying over the phone how it wasn’t that great, but I beg to differ.

She had Papa’s stories copied and made into a book. Papa is her dad and is such a huge influence in my life. Now I have a collection of short stories that he wrote about his childhood. Words can’t express how much this means to me.

I cried. What a perfect present. Thank you, Mom and Merrill!

After I got all teary-eyed, Hubby decided to give me something fun. I am only realizing now how applicable his wrapping paper was on this one.

Because he got me a few “Where’s Waldo?” books! We had these growing up and loved them. Hubby and I ran into an old, battered copy in a waiting room a few weeks back, and I kept going on and on about how hilarious they were to us as kids.

He must have picked up the right vibe from me, because he ordered a few of them to be under the tree for my Christmas morning. I’m so glad. I love these! It will be fun to search through them again…as a grown-up kid.

This past week, Hubby has been shouting out from other rooms things that he is finding in the books, too. So it looks like we’re both going to have lots of fun with them.

So this present comes with a little backstory…I love walking around with a cape blanket on in the chilly mornings. One particular Saturday, after making us some breakfast, I leaned a little too far over the still-hot stove.

Poor Bluey, as my old blanket was named at the time, got a little singed. And not in a good way. His entire corner melted and became crispy and hard. Not exactly successful cape blanket material.

I trimmed off the burnt ends, so to speak, but Bluey was never the same again. In fact, he even got renamed Crusty. And it was appropriate.

So you can imagine my relief when I opened a box to reveal a new, soft, un-singed cape blanket. We’ve named it Oscar, for obvious reasons.

Since I’m sure that it’s completely normal to name inanimate objects that we use. Everybody does it. I’m sure.

I would like to report that Oscar is comfy and cuddly. And, after an initial washing, he hardly sheds at all. In fact, he is around my shoulders this very moment as I type, keeping me all safe and warm.

And now I don’t need to feel guilty about putting Crusty in the guest room for our beloved visitors. They won’t even know, right?

Hubby is excited that my Mom might be the first to use Crusty in that location when she visits next month. Now you have something to anticipate, Mama! A Crusty!

I loved the candy cane wrapping paper that we used this year. I found it on clearance after last Christmas.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to wait almost an entire year to use something so dang cute?!

And, on the up side, at least we now know that I can be a hand model if this whole flying thing doesn’t work out for me.

Bwaahahhaaahahaa!

I opened a box with a random connecting wire in it. Since I didn’t know what it was, I acted insanely happy about it. And he just so happened to snap the picture at that precious moment.

Just keeping it real in here, folks. Just keeping it real.

Hmmm. A wireless keyboard and mouse. A connecting cable. And now a giant box to open. I like where this is all going! Especially because he told me to hold this one very gently.

And then I got my hopes up.

Could it be? Is it really possible that my Hubby is so thoughtful and great at listening that he is solving a years-old dilemma for me this very Christmas morning?

And the answer to that is…yes. Of course he got me a giant monitor so that I can design things easier from home! He pretty much turned my laptop into a dream working station for when I am designing stuff. And my computer can still be a laptop to take on the road with me when leave for I work.

The best part is that I will no longer have to squint or zoom in 1000% to see what I’m working on. I am so ridiculously excited about this! I’m looking at it now and am still impressed!

It’s huge. And is the latest technology that allows me to see it from any angle. It’s really the most beautiful monitor that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a few!

If he great or what? He is so supportive of all the little projects that I work on. I think he knows how happy it makes me to be designing stuff. And now I can do it on a gigantic, crystal-clear screen. Talk about gourmet!

One last present to open. He really did think of everything. And I knew that I wasn’t imagining sawdust in the garage last week!

He built from scratch this little wooden stand to cover my laptop to place the new monitor on top. He then stained it perfectly to match my desk. Isn’t he awesome?!

Is this my “Andre Bocelli” impersonation?

Being married to a computer geek has so many advantages…if he gives you wonderful technological gadgets for Christmas, he will then set them up for you! It’s a win-win for me, really.

Just look at all of those ports! I think this monitor is as fancy as he says it is! I believed him before, too…

First, he had to hook the new monitor into my laptop to get the screens to talk to each other. Even turned to the side, this guy is so much bigger than my laptop! Eeeeek!

Well, that’s a good sign. It works! Now we can place the wooden stand on top of the closed laptop, and then place this giant beauty on top.

Getting closer…

At least the views were nice while I patiently waited.

Well, shucks. It is just incredible.

And, considering that I never knew how much better things could be by having this guy, I think that I am one happy camper. Hubby was so thoughtful to give me such a perfect place to “work.” I am really hoping to break into the designing/blog-designing/card-making industries, and this monitor just proves to me that he is behind me 100%.

That means so much.

What a great Christmas. Talk about being spoiled rotten! What was your favorite present this year?