Nashville Neimuth Christmas 2011 (part 2)

Our 2011 Christmas was soo action packed I really don't know if there will ever be another like it! I just posted the Cuckoo Christmas Miracle which is totally legendary material, but people there is MORE!

It was a snowless Nashville night before Christmas in the Niemuth house. Not a creature was stirring not even a ---- WAIT A MINUTE!! WHO IS THIS?!?

Mr. S. C.

Sharing the same initials as Santa Claus, Dad takes the initiative to "test" Santa's cookies and milk.

Stephanie had her table so nicely decorated for a festive Christmas meal. 

I made my cranberry sauce and couldn't wait to eat those olives!

We headed downtown Nashville one night for a dixie dinner and line dance at the Wild Horse Saloon.

Another really cool place we visited, was the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. It is the largest indoor garden on US territory and they decorate it with over 2 million lights for the Holiday Season! Really it was a spectacular sight that just kept fueling our Christmas Spirits!

Now another Christmas miracle occurred... I had begged and sang songs, and reminded, and begged Eric that since I was in 5th grade and went on my first Kayaking adventure in the Pacific Ocean that it was one of my dreams to own a Kayak. Since we lived in San Diego only 1 mile from the Pacific Ocean, I put a kayak at the top of my Christmas list!! I also shared my desire for a kayak at my work, and everyone was rooting for me. They said they all wished their wives wanted a Kayak for Christmas - so they thought Eric better deliver my wish! (Yes I did share this with Eric, haha)  If you can imagine, Christmas Eve I could barely sleep because 1) I was so excited to reveal the Cuckoo Clock and 2) I wanted a kayak and nothing else! Well that morning, Eric handed me a little present at the end of gift giving as well, and I opened this:

Immediately I asked him if this was my "kayak" or if it represented my real kayak? He said a real one. Then I asked him about two more times just to be sure - and then I was so excited and happy I cried as you can see below. Seriously, it makes my top 10 happiest moments of my life list. 

I splurged a little and got Eric this flashy pair of Oakley glasses he begged me for all summer - he really liked them but unfortunately lost them in less than a month. Bummer. 

There were smiles all around!

Mark really wanted and X-box Kinect to play active video games - and people believe me when I say active!! We all danced till we dropped, played soccer, competed in a decathlon, boxed our arm sockets off, and chopped enough fruit to feed the ninja nation! Most of us suffered the next day from D.O.M.S. and personally I thought I might need to go to the hospital. 

The day after Christmas we also visited took a mini-road trip across TN to the Jack Daniels Distillery for an educational tour. And stopped by the school my Grandma Naomi went to in Talahoma. 

 

We also took a quick family field trip into the nearby town of Franklin to tour and explore the Carter House a historical civil war landmark. To be honest, the stories of the battle held on this farm almost led me to much  'hippie talk'. Seriously, the slaughter that went on for hours here made a serious impression on me. 

And after the history lesson, we ate at Puckets Grocery just down the road. 

The singer asked the crowd what was the  best thing they got for Christmas - I yelled out I GOT A KAYAK!!!! 

We had a little birthday dinner here for me and then I opened a few Birthday gifts (like this green velvet scarf). 

Like I said, Cuckoo Christmas Miracle was legendary but I couldn't leave out all these other good times had at the Niemuths!!