Merry Christmas From The Johnsons {2012}

I hope you and your loved ones had a fabulous Christmas holiday this year! I know my Hubby and I did.

We were quiet busy since I have family 5 hours away.  We had to drive to Houston Sunday morning for my dad's side of the family, followed by my moms on Monday for Christmas Eve. We then continued on home after the family gathering to make it home by 2 am so we could enjoy our first Christmas as a married couple in our own home. 

Since we don't have kids we have the pleasure of splurging on other people. Not to mention, Henry gets plenty of credit card rewards thanks to his business, so gift cards are usually handed out in lieu of an actual gift so people can spend on themselves how they choose. Henry absolutely hates gift cards and their insensitive meaning, or at least that is what he thinks, I on the other hand love gift cards! I would much rather enjoy a gift card to spend on myself however I choose than to get a gift, fake a smile, and go exchange it later on. Luckily,  my family members know me pretty well so exchanges have never had to happen, but that is my opnion on the whole gift card topic.

Sunday at my Uncle Mark's house I enjoyed eating my Grandpas amazing oatmeal cookies, watching old family videos my grandparents had managed to turn into DVDs and chatting with cousins and aunts. One cousin in particular was latched on to Henry like a leach. But the cutest leach ever I must admit. 

My baby cousin Aimee seems to have grown a little kid crush on my husband. Which Henry eats up because he adores children. He had absolutely no problem entertaining her.

Monday was my aunt's party. We always do a themed Christmas with them since in our family by Christmas you have just about finished left over Thanksgiving foods and would prefer anything other than more turkey and dressing. This year was Asian food. Nom Nom Nom!! Delicious Shrimp and Pork Spring rolls, Coconut Curry Chicken, Egg Rolls, Wontons, brown rice....Side note, if you notice me capitalizing nouns, such as Egg Rolls, please forgive me. I speak German, in German all nouns are capitalized, it has been a difficult habit to break because I rarely notice until someone asks me.
Needless to say I think I stuffed my mouth more than I did on Thanksgiving and felt like I was going to pop!

Christmas gifts rolled around and we really enjoyed getting to see all the kids open their gifts. I am sure everyone knows what we get them because it typically involves us brainwashing my little cousins with Aggie Gear. My heart fluttered in delight when my sister asked my 6 year old cousin where she wanted to go for college and without hesitation, grinning ear-to-ear my cousin blurts out, "Texas A&M College Station!" That's my girl!!!! So proud of her.

Quoted above is Shaye, the cousin on the left. Right is Henry's niece, Ariana.

After my aunt's we hurried on over to my parent's house where we finished up a few family gifts so we could get on the road before too late (it was already 8:30 pm). We had given my parent's their gifts at my aunt's house, however my mom wanted us to open her gifts at her house. Unfortunately, my sister was still at her boyfriend's mom's house and my dad was being a vain toddler who can't think of anyone else other than himself at times, so the gift opening consisted of my mom, Henry, the two Harbor girls visiting and myself. My mom had thoughtfully bought me some wonderful scrapbooking additions, and an amazing wine bottle chandelier!! I had been eyeing one at Pottery Barn, so when I opened the box I was ecstatic to see she had purchased it! They also got my Hubby some more beer brewing supplies to go along with the ones my Aunt Robin and Uncle Warren had earlier given him as a gift. Lot's of home-made beer in our future. Yummy! (I say that in all seriousness too, it's awesome!)

Finally at 9:12 pm, yes 9:12 pm, my mom refused to let us drive off at 9:11 pm, we were on the road to Fort Worth again. We made it home safely around 2 am and crashed. The next morning when we finally rolled out of bed we kept our dogs back so we could scatter their new toys on the floor. We adore watching them scramble out of the bedroom and frantically trying to decide which toy to take for the day. Dunk, the fatty of our two dogs, tried unsuccessfully to cram two new turkey leg shaped rawhides into his mouth and instead settled on plopping down between the two as if to guard them. Tux, my baby baby, has an infatuation with green toys. People say dogs can't see colors but I gaurantee Tux can see green. I take him to PetSmart, throw down a few toys and say, "Get your toy." Tux goes back and forth between toys before settling on one, typically green, and setting it at my feet to let me know that is the one he chooses. I then grab an assortment of colors of the toy of choice, being sure to not use the same original he chose, to see if he again picks the green and he always goes for the green one. So, on Christmas day he had the choice between the first green toy he ever had as a puppy that a lawn mower destroyed, a green rope with green plush squeaky, a blue treat dispensing toy, and a green squeaky snake. Tux proceeded to grab the green squeaky rope and settled on the front door rug. After contemplating for some time, he shoves the rope in his mouth, walks back to the pile and successfully crams the other turkey leg rawhide into his mouth, and goes back to the rug with both. I love our Fuzzy-butt babies!

Henry and I finally began to open each other's presents. I had been so upset because we always do one "big" gift for each other each year. This year my big gift was a pair of Ostrich skin Lucchese's that Henry had been eyeing before we got married. Now I love Cavendar's, however I do not love that the week before Christmas they deliver the Lucchese boots in a opaque Cavender's bag! I did not like getting a text from my hubby with a photo of them on the doorstep. I had literally just got of the phone with them the night before when they called to say they were shipping, and I had specifically told them they were a Christmas gift. Thank youuuu Cavendar's, you dumbass.
So, as to not ruin his gift I had to be creative. I had to pretend I did not get him boots.

We began opening gifts, Henry received a few nice lumberjack shirts, long sleeve, and sweater from Banana Republic. I got two amazing skinny Miss Me jeans and VSX yoga outfits (all matching! He is so good!). We each bought each other 3 new colognes and perfumes. I got a new blingy belt and Vogt sterling silver cuff bracelet and he received a few Nike basketball shorts. Then he hands me a box that had not been under the tree with cowhide wrapping paper from a store called "The Maverick". I had never heard of this store. I anxiously unwrapped the gift wondering what he had bought! I was flabbergasted when I opened the box to see a stunning pair of Old Gringos!!! I had been dying for a pair of Old Gringos, and hadn't even told him this was a pair I adored. It is so nice having a Hubby who knows my style and taste so well. After drooling over my new boots, I decided it was time to hand Henry his boots. He ripped the wrapping paper off the box saying, "I wonder what these could be", with a huge smile on his face. The look on his face was priceless when he revealed the levi's and boot wedge and NOT a pair of Lucchese's. I couldn't resist bursting into laughter. He was SO disappointed they were boots. He looked under the tree to not see anymore gifts and made the most pitiful face. After pulling myself together I told him to hold on, walked into the guest bedroom, and grabbed the gift bag for Henry to open. Sure enough, there in the bag was his brand new boots. He was in love and we couldn't wait to flaunt our new boots.

However, there was one gift Henry had not let me open yet. He gave me a hint saying it was about the size of an iPad mini. I knew it wouldn't be an iPad because he bought me one last year, I was racking my brain trying to figure out what it was. Finally I gave up on guessing and opened the box to reveal a black box with the letters "LOCK" on the outside. Did he seriously get me my own toolbox? What in the world!?
I opened the box to see my very own Glock .40! YEA BUDDY!!! I would have never guessed!

Looking at all the gifts he got me it definitely was different from the years before I knew him. I went from getting wedges and pumps to cowgirl boots, from dresses to jeans, from jewelry to guns. However it is different for him too, he still gets his boots, but instead of camo and ammo, he gets sweaters and button ups. We have really rubbed off on each other, in a good way. It was an amazing Christmas together as Husband and Wife, and I wouldn't have changed one thing.