“Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal”

This Christmas started out different that any Christmas morning that I’ve ever had. This was my very first Christmas as the only child still living at home with my parents. As of August, all my siblings are now married. It was very different to wake up and not have my brother Brad opening presents with me.

Purple pants! Thanks Santa!

My 2 girls-Roxy and Sadie

Roxy helped me open up my presents from Santa :) haha

Dorky dog

Sadie loves her new bed!

And she got a little yummy treat!

White Christmas!

Right after getting ready to the day, I headed over to the Raines because Christmas day means a phone call from Mike! I did the smart thing and didn’t put on any make up because I knew that there would be water works at some point. Haha. Once I got to the Raines I gave everyone their presents that came in Mike’s surprise package. Everyone loved their gifts :) Right at 11 a.m. Susan was in the process of dialing the number to call Elder Raines when she had an incoming phone call. She answered it and it happened to be the family that he was spending Christmas with. Apparently Mike was getting super nervous that we had somehow forgotten to call him! Haha. I mean, it was barely 11! Where is that boys patience? ;) Just kidding. Susan then proceeded to call the number and it said that the number couldn’t be completed as dialed. We spent about 10 minutes (precious minutes) just trying to get that stupid number to work. Sadly we couldn’t get it to work! But don’t worry! The wonderful family that Mike was spending Christmas with let Mike use their phone and he called us! Hearing his voice was priceless. He sounds exactly the same! :) That was honestly the best Christmas present that I have ever received :) We talked as a family on speaker phone to him for 47 minutes. Best 47 minutes ever! He spoke some amazing Polish, and told me the sweetest thing ever "We are made for each other”. It was absolutely amazing to hear his voice. The hardest part was saying goodbye to him. I probably haven’t cried that hard since the day that he left. It was a bitter sweet moment. Sadly, we did not get to Skype with him. I’m not sure why a lot of missionaries got to Skype with their family, but I am grateful for what I did have with my missionary. :) I love him with my whole heart <3




After spending most of the morning with the Raines I headed over to my Grandma’s for some lunch and Christmas fun with my fam!

Cousin love

Playing Sean’s new 3DS

Helping Grandma Great open her present

Me, Brad and Kami

How many hot tamales can you fit into your mouth?

My Aunts, Uncles, Grandma and Parents

My 2 favorite cousins!

The only girl grandchildren

Love this lady!

Aunt Barbara, Grandma, Mom and Aunt Penny

Christmas nap

Chelsee and Scout :)

It was a great Christmas with fantastic memories that I will cherish forever! Thanks for all of those who helped make it so great!

Merry Christmas!

Secret Christmas Package

On November 26, 2012 I received an email from Michael that he just sent to me. This email said, “First of all, I love you. Quick email just for you! Haha. So I sent you my Christmas package! Don’t tell anyone! Lol. Just be sneaky about it. I hope you love your gifts as well :) Sorry it does ruin the surprise a little for you, but I thought you might like it this way more!” I was so excited when he sent me this email! I’m actually pretty good at keeping secrets, especially when they are between Michael and I because he is the one I tell all my secrets to so it worked out perfectly for me. On November 28, 2012 I received the package!!! Oh man! Happy day to me! I have never personally received a package from him. They all usually get sent to him mom so I was ecstatic to get this one! Because I had to go through the package so I could wrap everyone’s presents up, I got to see my Christmas presents a month early. He sent me such amazing things! He’s so amazing and thoughtful <3 I love him to death!

My presents consisted of…

An absolutely gorgeous jewlery box!

I can’t get over how pretty it is

What’s so special about this key you might ask? This is the key to our lock of love! :D The lock he bought came with 2 keys, one of which he threw into the river like you are supposed to and the other he sent to me :) I put it on a necklace and love to wear it as a reminder.

This is the video that Mike made of himself throwing the key in the river

At first I thought that this was just a flower but it’s actually a bunch of leaves in the shape of a flower!

How cool is that!?

A couple of fun trinkets

For some reason he sent me a piece of his favorite tree shirt

A notebook of drawings, tags and notes. And also a little notebook that’s blank inside. I think he sent it to me because it has a shark on it :)

 

 

 

 

Haha! This one made me laugh :)

He also sent me a secret Christmas picture that he asked if I would put a Christmas border on it and print off for everyone.

This is how it turned out and I think it looks great! My friend edited it for me to make it look all festive for Christmas. Thanks Spencer!

A couple weeks before Christmas I could tell that Mike’s mom was starting to get a little suspicious of me since it had been over a month and she still hadn’t gotten a package. I tried to reassure her that the package had not come to me. On Christmas Eve I went over to their house and gave them all letters that Mike had written to each family member personally along with the secret Christmas picture. I told them that this was the only thing that Mike had me do.

Dang I’m sneaky. Haha.

On Christmas Day I went to Mike’s house with the package and all his families presents wrapped up nicely. As I walked in the door, I explained to everyone of mine and Mike’s sneakiness. Everyone was so surprised!! It was great :) I know that Mike would have loved to see the look on everyone's faces when they opened it. I may have gotten a little in trouble for keeping this secret from Mike’s mom, haha, but it was worth it. It was a great surprise for everyone but the best was yet to come because at 11 a.m. that morning we would be calling the one and only, Elder Michael Christian Raines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <33333333 

Christmas Eve

Every year my whole entire family gets together for lunch and a movie. I love this tradition that we have. We always have such a great time. We went to Chili’s and afterwards everyone went and saw Rise of the Guardians except for Brad, Kami and I. We are basically the only ones without kids or grandkids so we went to see a big kid movie. Haha. We saw Jack Reacher and it was really good! It’s definitely a movie that I know Mike would love to see! Later that night my siblings came over to my house for our gift exchange! Every year we draw names and buy a present for that person.

Matt, Julie, Dawson, and Bob

Sean

Grandma

My sweet niece Scout

Mom, Sean, Jamie and Carson

The Whole Fam

Elese and Ryan

Danny and Corinne

Adam and Mandy

Beckam

Uncle Bob (by the way-Girls Rule, Boys Drool), Aunt Penny and Amber

Brad and Kami

Dawson and Piper.

Every couple minutes Piper would run around the entire table telling everyone where Santa was in the world because she had an app for it. One time she came up to me and said, “Santa’s almost in POLAND!!” Haha. She had no idea that Mike lived there but it made me laugh!

Kami and I

Sibling Party

Scout got some new books!

 

Carsey got a game for his Leapster!

Seaners got a Nerf gun!

I got a super cute new purse! And it’s purple, even better!

Brad got a new grey jacket that he is wearing

Kami got a cake stand that doubles as a punch bowl!

Chelsee got a gift card to Bear Escentuals

Carson jumping off Grandma and Grandpas present. Haha.

Jamie got a pair of running pants

Tommy got a set of golf balls. He should be careful when using them because they are engraved saying, “Broken window courtesy of Tommy Bowcutt” HAHAHA!

Last but not least, Matt got a salad spinner

 

Now it’s time for the Grandkids to get spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She has the most gorgeous eye lashes I’ve ever seen

Love ya Scouters!

Carson taking his new roller skates for a test drive

Sean and his partner in crime Giraffey. He never leaves the house without him.

 

Such a great Christmas Eve filled with many laughs and good memories. I have the best family!