Christmas Day 2010

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!!

This photo was taken in the Serengeti during our African Safari Honeymoon this past September :)

I could hardly wait for Christmas Day this year.  I don't know if it was the gift I was giving Eric that made me so excited but I was seriously like a little kid.  I almost broke down and just gave Eric his gift about a zillion times.  So happy I waited.    

We woke up on Christmas morning at 6:30am...and immediately called our families.  It was so awesome to be able to talk to all of them.  They were cleaning up from their Christmas Eve Dinner and we were getting ready to cook some more and open gifts. 

Our tree on Christmas Morning

Hot cocoa goodies Brooke and Eric gave us

Self timer baby!

Eric holding one of my gifts-a  Dean and Deluca lunch bag

So those of you who know Eric well, he rarely indulges in things for himself.  He is always thinking of other people and even if he wants something, he'd never buy it for himself.  So, he'd been talking about an iPad for months so I really wanted to buy this for him.  We were even at the Apple store when we were home in November and I asked him if there was anything he needed or wanted - he, of course, replied no....little did he know that I snuck the purchase and got him his very own iPad.  The surprise almost got foiled a few times through airport security going back to Doha but luckily it made it just fine.  I wrapped it in boxes within a box to throw him off :)

First he thought I got him a globe

Then a.... filing cabinet?!  He's thinking, 'great gift Jennie!"

Then a Louis Vuitton something or other?!

Almost there!

 He was blown away and very surprised.  Now that he can subscribe to magazines, etc via iPad we'll save quite a bit of money on the usual $12/magazine here in Doha.  His only problem will be keeping me away from it !

We were literally done with opening gifts by 8:30am!   Two little kids I tell ya!

We continued the feast with a delicious breakfast of eggs, blueberry pancakes and homemade cinnamon buns...below is the before shot, I had no idea how much they would rise!

We spent the day mostly in our house watching Christmas movies and just enjoying some R & R together.  In the afternoon, we decided to take a run at Aspire Park.  It was good to get the blood pumping but a little sad to see all the non-Christmas celebrators just hanging at the park like it was a normal day.  I'm happy we stayed inside for that reason.  It was wonderful to be able to speak to our families again later in the day.  The video phones and skype sure do make it feel like the world is a lot smaller and we're really not so far away.

We hope your Christmas was as enjoyable as ours and all the best for 2011!

(Next up, Mom & Dad Marras' arrival the 30th of December :) )