merry christmas!

Merry Christmas!

New Tradition, Midnight Mass.  *yawn* :-)

Matt, Mom, Lynn, Taylor, and I stayed up until 2:00 last night!! This is NOT normal for Matt, Mom, and I. Lynn and Taylor are much more suited for that. We decided that we were going to attempt Midnight Mass.  We got to church at 11:30 for a sing-a-long and the service started at 12:00.  The service lasted much longer than usual due to the occasion (is that REALLY a problem? Honestly? On Jesus' Birthday I think we can stay an extra half hour).  I'm so tired and the only one up now because of the pets. They did not stay up until 2:00 am.  In fact, when 10:00 rolled around Bevo stumbled in to the room, glared at Matt, and crawled in his crate.  He fell asleep even before we could shut the door! Adorable.  Cant.Stand.the.Cuteness.

Methinks Bevo was so tired because there was an adventure earlier at the Berra's house! I believe it might be the one thing that kept us awake until midnight for Mass!

Mom, Lynn, Matt, and I were sitting outside for our tropical Christmas Eve BBQ. I made kebabs that were pretty delicious, if I say so myself.  Bevo was running happily around the back yard.  All of the sudden he ran to the door of the house and started barking and howling.  We were so confused! We ran inside to hear the alarm system FREAKING out.  We started hitting buttons and trying to enter the code but NOTHING worked!  Before you think that someone broke in let me say that we haven't activated this particular system.  It was the hardware from the previous owners system that was FREAKING out. Buttons were pushed, google consulted, and Michelle cussing like a sailor keeping very calm and collected. Then Matt said, "Is that going outside?"  Yes, Matt- that FREAKING OUT sound decided to go through the speakers in the alarm system so that all of our neighbors and their dogs could hear the FREAKING OUT system!  Panic set in me... I thought, "Well, Christmas Eve is ruined for all of our neighbors, we are all going to have to go get hotel rooms as this blasted system won't shutthe(insertwordofyourchoice)up. Fire Department Called, nothing they can do, Police called, nothing they can do.  Then... NEIGHBORS TO THE RESCUE!!

*knock knock, door opening*

"Michelle? It's Mary from next door. Are you all Ok?"

"No, I'm so sorry! We can't get this thing off!"

"Do you know the code?"

"Yes, but this system isn't activated anymore and the code isn't working!"

"Rose across the street is best friends with Letty (the nickname of the previous owner). Let me go over there and ask for their number."

***relief***

Rose was actually ON THE PHONE with Letty and got the number of the alarm company and the code.  Have I mentioned I have wonderful neighbors?

I sprinted home with the info to see Matt and Lynn shutting off all of the power to the house trying to get this thing to shut up.  I call ALL of the numbers and they are all disconnected. NOT.PLEASED. I'm calling every.single.alarm.company in all of Broward County. NADA! I'm freaking out and Matt is weird calm.  I mean, weirdly calm.  Matt, I don't know how you you did it.  Forty-five minutes of the alarm blaring, the noise outside, the police saying, "good luck with that," bevo whining, the neighbors dogs barking, me freaking out, no one knowing what to do, losing internet connection (noooooo we needed yellow pages.com and google), and the cats freaking out.  You are a saint. I'm impressed.

Finally I get in touch with a nice man at ADT (this is the second time I called and the first guy was like, "um, I can't really help you").  Man 2 started to explain what to do and Matt RAN into the garage.  Matt found a secret white box and a secret battery pack and removed the spazzing battery. 

*peace*

I almost faint with relief.

I thanked the nice man at ADT  for his help and that my husband had figured it out.  I looked at Matt and said, "who were you talking to?" Matt answered, "Brian, I wish I'd have thought to call him earlier."

Thank you Brian, for saving Christmas Eve.

:-)