Merry Christmas To All From El Paso, TX!

Christmas was so much fun! I loved being home to spend it with my family (Hutchins). We missed Amy and Bethie (Sisters), but it was good to get to see Jonathan & new wife Elizabeth, Ben and his girls (Ashley & Alley), Dad and of course Mom. Because it was also so close to Jonathan's wedding, we got the added fun of Aunt Cindy, Uncle Brian and our cousin Andy visiting as well. The time was far to short that we got to visit, but I am so glad that I got to see them. We have to do that again asap! Anyone up for a trip to Disney Land and a few days in San D?
After all of the wedding preparations and huge colds for Me, My Mom and both kids we got to work on Christmas. The colds really sucked as Mom got Pink Eye after her sniffling and sneezing for a week or so (from the kids) and the kids ended up in the Pediatricians office for breathing treatments that were ordered 3x's per day for the whole last week we were there. It was terrible, but a kind Pediatrician that okay ed us to be seen in his office, and lots of free samples, it was not as terrible as it could have been. The kids cleared up quickly and we were glad that we treated it before we ended up in the ER! I got pink eye after I got home (a symptom of the cold I think) but after lots of antibiotics we are all finally well again.
Anyway, after attending to our needs and getting relatively healthy, Christmas was great. Everyone spent way to much money on gifts and we were glad that we had packed extra suitcases. Jacob scored so much fun stuff, among which a fully automatic Nerf machine gun (thanks Uncle Johnny & Aunt Elizabeth, that is just what a 5 year old needs (complete with an ammo chain that pops off a Nerf bullet per second), swords, a remote controlled mini helicopter that works (Uncle Benny) a NASCAR race track with remote control cars, tons of little toys, games, clothes, etc. Well, Jacob sure had a ball right along with Rick and I and everyone else it seemed. Seeing the kids play, adults laugh and even a few moments of mom getting hers into a bunch was fun. We sat around, played with toys until about 3pm, took naps and woke to eat a ton of Tamales (Thanks to the 6 dozen mom bought!), shrimp, moms famous guacamole dip and bescocho cookies for desert. The evenings entertainment of a truly rousing 10 rounds of Catch Phrase was a bonding moment for Rick with my Dad. They beat the pants off of mom and I (2 games to 8). I thought mom would kill me if I guessed another word or phrase before she began explaining. It only got better when Jon and Elizabeth joined us on our last 3 rounds and we got a dose of Jonathan's rousing competitive nature. Johnny's "kisses" (farts) were the least favorite part of the evening, but as usual, the wreck less abandon with which he will "blow them" offers a raunchy chuckle that only the Hutchins could appreciate (prescident sighted: Family trip to Idaho, and every other event in our family history). Unfortunately, I took all pictures with Dad's new camera and will now have to spend the rest of the year begging for them. When do I learn?

Well, all in all, I would say a wonderful trip! Rick was really able to appreciate the crazy that is my family and came out loving us all a little more. What can I say..."to know us is to love us"... or hate us, but I am glad that he chose to love us.
Johnny's wedding that I planned on the 20th of December only made the trip more chaotic, but more fun and offered a special thing I could do for him and his bride and my family that did not cost me anything but time. On my little budget for Christmas, I was glad to for once get to pay with time, detail and love rather than cash I did not have. His wedding was the reason for the visit and the ticket home was what made it all possible so thanks Johnny for bringing me in and thanks Mom for bringing the rest of the family in and letting us crash at your house and get the "Hutchins experience". Cant wait to repeat it all again some year soon!
Pictures of Johnny's wedding to come in future entry after they are edited and sent to me.