Holly's Jolly Christmas

Time: 2:21 P.M.
Song in my head: "The Distance" by Evan and Jaron.
I last ate: Peanut butter and jelly with soy milk to dunk for breakfast.
I'm wearing: My purple sweater and black flares.
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Well, Christmas was butt-loads of fun this year. On Christmas Eve, we went to Grandma Shoup's house, like usual. My grandparents are such sweethearts, they make sure *everyone* who comes to their house of Christmas Eve has a stocking to go through. Besides cute little teddy bears and lots of candy, everybody gets an apple, an orange, and a handful of walnuts. Some people, like my brother, think this is a bit stupid. I think it's awesome, though, for the reason Grandma puts them in there. She grew up during the depression, and her family hardly ever got to eat anything other than bread and soup. But on Christmas, her mom managed to get a hold of an apple, orange, and handful of walnuts for each of them, and put them in their stockings. So, it's important to Grandma to put those things in *our* stockings, even though she really stocks up for Christmas Eve dinner at her house (this year their 'fridge wasn't big enough to hold it all). Cool, huh?

When we'd finished going through our stockings, it was time to open presents. My step siblings came over, and Zach and I were so surprised that Carrie (my step-sister) got us each a gift! She bought us each these really good Paul Mitchell hair care kits. What a sweetheart she is! Zach and I did feel terrible that we didn't get Carrie anything, though. My grandparents got my awesome stuff like an Avon breast cancer awareness teddy bear, the Harry Potter Playstation game I asked them for, and the Grinch and Shrek DVDs. Some obnoxious kid said that Harry Potter was a "demonic influence" and that I shouldn't like it. My hilarious step-brother Billy, who reeked of pot replied, "I haven't seen Harry Potter yet, but it can't be *that* bad." Heheh.

7:00 rolled around, and we headed over to church for the Christmas Eve service. This is my favorite part of the entire year. We lit candles and sang Christmas hymns, then our minister read the verse that Linus does on the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. But for some stupid reason, I sat with Zach and his friend, Andy, who drew cartoon characters on their bulletins and pretended to set the pew on front of them in fire, while singing in goofy voices. After church, Zach, Andy, me, and my crush and Andy's brother, Tim, headed back to Grandma Shoup's house for leftover sub sandwiches and pumpkin pie.

Christmas Day was awesome as well. When Zach woke me up, I could hear my least-favorite movie, The Christmas Story, blaring on the TV in the family room, so I didn't want to get up. However, I was starving, and it *was*, after all, CHRISTMAS MORNING! So I ambled out to the family room, plunked down on the couch, and scarfed down the delicious raspberry danish Dad had bought for breakfast.

Zach and I got Dad the Forearm Builder he'd asked for, and he seemed to love it, so that was cool. We also stuffed a stocking full of various chocolate candies for him, so I think our Christmas gift to him was kind of an oxy-moron or something. It was like, "Hey Dad, here's some excersize equipment... and here's some candy, too!"

The first thing Zach and I opened (well... I actually just sat there and left the opening to him) was... AN X-BOX! Then, I opened... A DVD PLAYER! Then we could get to our other presents, which were all DVDs, X-Box games, and clothes. I got the X-Box games Simpsons Road Rage and Shrek while Zach got the games Halo and Project Gotham. I also opened the DVDs Heartbreakers, Legally Blonde and Wayne's World 1 and 2. Then we opened a bunch of really nice, dressy clothes, which shows Dad is trying to force Zach and I out of our every-day outfits of T-shirts and jeans.

That afternoon, we went over to my aunt Barb's house, like always. Since Zach had to work all night Christmas Eve, he slept a good portion of his Christmas Day away. Poor guy... After our Christmas lunch/dinner (at like... 3:30 or something), prepared by Grandma Z. and Aunt Barb, we went to the living room to open presents. Grandma Z.'s presents for me were no surprise, as I was with her when she bought them. I had picked out my own gift, which was a glittery, striped pink turtleneck sweater and a skirt to match. She also got me a surprise... a beautiful, delicate sterling silver bracelets with little hearts dangling from it, and Britney Spears' new CD. Rockin'! Aunt Barb, Uncle Don, Lindsay and Jennifer got me a very pretty glittery pink decoration for my room, and The Grinch DVD. Since I'd already gotten The Grinch from the Grandparents Shoup, I took it back and exchanged it for Save the Last Dance, so that worked out good.

The day after Christmas (Boxing Day), Zach and I had our Christmas morning with my mom and Mike in Bay City. This was where I got my favorite Christmas presents... HARRY POTTER STUFF! Mom got me two Harry Potter pillows: One that says "Quidditch" and comes with the golden snitch tucked into a pocket, and one that says "Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans," and it looks like a bag of them. They're both *adorable*, and I love them! I also got Harry Potter sheets, Harry Potter stickers for my wall, the Harry Potter poster book, a Harry Potter calender, a Nimbus 2000 bookmark, chocolate Wizarding money (which I won't eat, of course), plus some non-Harry-Potter-stuff such as the CDs Backstreet Boys-- Hits, Chapter One and a good, not-burned copy of Lifehouse-- No Name Face, which is my favorite band, and CD.

Zach and I got Mom the PETA watch she's been wanting for like, five years or longer, and we filled her a stocking full of little vibrating massager things, which she thought looked like sex toys. We all laughed, and admitted that they did indeed look like sex toys. We were like, "Um... please don't use them for that, though. Ew."

So, as you can tell, Zach and I are spoiled rotten. We get so much stuff for Christmas, it's ridiculous. And today (the 29th), I hung out with Sarah at Grandma Shoup's so we could exchange Christmas gifts. She got me this adorable Pisces zodiac bear that had little attributes on it and everything! I LOVE IT! She also got me Nickelback's single of "How You Remind Me." That song kicks *arse*! I got her a little crystal figurine dragon that she's been wanting since the ninth grade! She seemed to like it, so that's gnarley.

Talk to ya later!

--Holly Rachael :-D