Christmas Marathon

Christmas was good this year. Real good. Christmas always feels a little like a marathon, but in a good way. We did four little Christmases. First we celebrated Christmas Eve with Brendon's momma and AJ, then we did Christmas morning with my momma, then we headed off to the woods for Christmas with my daddio, step-momma, and step-broseph, and then we had our own little quiet Hogan Christmas in Austin. It's definitely a lot, but it's a lot of goodness.

Are you ready for the photographic evidence? Prepare yourself. These pictures are definitely all snap shots. Anything I've learned over the years about photography went out the window and for the most part I let Brendon be the camera man (which he LOVES, and by loves I mean does not love).

CHRISTMAS EVE:

 

Christmas Eve was super fun. We looked through old pictures, my mom made an amazing dinner, and we had a blast doing a white elephant style gift swap. My mom won the best present (a super sweet hate I picked out, of course). It was a relaxing night and I laughed a whole lot. Unfortunately it ended with me getting all sorts of allergens up my nose and taking a benadryl. And this is what happens when I take benadryl:

Sleepy face.

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

We exchanged gifts and then my mom made our traditional Christmas morning feast of breakfast tacos. Probably my favorite meal, it is always so damn good. And yes, I got hella Pyrex. LOOK AT IT ALL. I haven't been able to find any Pyrex for months and this business is in excellent condition. My mom hit the jackpot! She also got me a new very promising cookbook. Prepare yourselves for the food posts. My mom is the best. She spoiled us rotten.

CHRISTMAS, ROUND TWO:

Christmas at my dads house is always interesting. My stepbrother JJ got coal, my dad got an enema, and I got a toothbrush that sings lady gaga while you brush. Jokes obviously, we're weird. This year my dad gifted Brendon with a very real looking, but fake snake. A few months ago we fed their animals while they were out of town and Brendon could have sworn he heard a snake in the hay barn. We texted my dad about it and he nonchalantly replied, "yeah, been trying to kill it", to which Brendon said, "THANKS FOR THE WARNING!". So, for Christmas, snake in the box. We've been hiding it around the house and scaring each other. Actually it's just been scaring me.

We also scored all kinds of real goodies, and were spoiled once again. We went on a little two mile Christmas run and then the boys had a push up contest. JJ won, homeboy is ripped. Then we had a delish dinner, played outside like some country bumpkins, and Brendon and I beat everyone in a ridiculous board game.

CHRISTMAS, ROUND THREE:

First of all, if you have not seen this video, watch it. Then the first three photos will then make sense.

After heading back up to Austin Brendon and I had a quick little gift exchange with just the two of us (and the cats). I had to wake up at 3:30am for work the next morning (scheduling yourself to open after Christmas? Silly!) so we had to call it an early night. Plus, four Christmases tends to wear you out. I am still recovering. You should see the bags under my eyes, y'all, they're epic. Someday I will sleep.

We had a pretty fantastic Christmas. We have the most wonderful and fun as hell family who spoils us rotten. I love y'all. Thanks for being related to me and being awesome.