After all of the build up, work, and anticipation, it arrived! And it was a ton of fun.
Christmas for us always starts on Christmas Eve. It is one of my favorite family traditions. It used to involve going to my grandparents' house for pea and potato soup, pierogies, and ham. I have always loved being with my grandma (and, when he was alive, my grandpa). Especially since my parent's divorce when I was 11, they always made me feel safe and good. In some years, that was also the only time I really saw my aunt and uncle, which is always a treat. Add to the mix my mom, who I can't get enough of, and of course, Dale and my sisters, and it is no wonder that Christmas Eve is one of the best days of the year.
The location and the menu have changed a bit, but the spirit of the day is still the same.
This year we gathered at my mom's house. The snacks, drinks, and conversation were enough to keep the adults busy, but the kids were restless. I was empathetic, since I vividly remember feeling the
exact same way when I was younger. We had to wait until after dinner to open gifts, and I remember my mom saying that we had to wait because everyone was relaxing and talking. When I was younger, I wondered what was so great about talking. Now I get it, but I also understand the temptation of a huge pile of gifts. So we let the kids open early.
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| check out the massive pile of gifts! |
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| a beautiful bracelet for my beautiful girl. she loves accessories. we joke that it must have skipped a generation or two. |
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| Oli figuring out a puzzle with Uncle Bob. That ball haunted us for days until Tim finally "won" the game. |
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| misteltoe |
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| My amazing (and stylish) grandma. I love her so much! |
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| Oli in the coolest coat ever. |
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| a Miles meltdown |
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| My wonderful mom and amazing Miles. We don't have enough pictures together. I lover her so much! |
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| Enjoying time with people I don't see nearly enough of! |
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| My sisters are the best aunts ever! |
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For the first year EVER, we weren't traveling anywhere on Christmas. And I mean the first time since I was 11. Until I started dating Tim, Beth and I would wake up and open gifts with whomever had "custody" of us Christmas morning (or just my mom's house once we got older), then go to church and see my dad for lunch, and then head to Suz's house for dinner. Once I started dating Tim, we cut out Suz's house to visit his parents instead. This year, since we saw Tim's parents on Sunday, we decided we would just stay home on Christmas. I was a little afraid it would be a bit boring, given my previously detailed traveling history, but I should have known better. I actually knew it would be a lot of fun, but was worried that it wouldn't feel like Christmas. I have to say, it was a TON of fun, but by the time we sat down to watch TV at night, I did kind of forget it was Christmas.
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| a pre-gift shot |
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| Without fail, Oli fell in love with all of Miles' toys |
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After gift opening and relaxing (i.e. playing video games. Oli got the xbox 360), we headed to our local Chinese restaurant to celebrate Christmas a la A Christmas story.
They didn't have a full duck (which is a good thing), but, since it is not strictly chinese food, they did have Tom Yum soup and sushi. Oli and Miles went traditional with sweet and sour chicken
But Mac, Tim, and I couldn't resist the Sushi.
Mac asked if we could do this every year. I'm not sure if a new tradition was born or not. But either way, it was a wonderful day!
