A very merry Christmas

I've been AWOL, having decided to just enjoy Christmas with everyone home. We had a wonderful time.

Christmas Eve, we spent the morning baking and getting things ready.

Cinnamon rolls

Table for 14. We always break out the good china, silver, and crystal for Christmas Eve dinner.


Christmas Eve dessert is always a birthday cake for Jesus (yes, we sing). Everyone loved this year's version.

In the afternoon, we go to the Christmas Eve service at church. At our new church, they always have a time for the children to come up and ring bells during a song. G. and L. cannot be pried out of their chairs, but R. is always game. M. stepped in and helped R. figure out what was going on. 


After church, we come home and fix dinner. This year's dinner was great fun, with multiple people needing to resort to wiping tears off their face from laughing so hard.



We sing carols around the piano, and then it's bed time for younger people. Older ones clean up, reset the table for the morning, and get everything ready.



People are not allowed down the stairs until we have everything ready,


and then they come down in age order.


Stockings are next.





The animals all get things in their stockings, too.

Yes, Olive has on Christmas pajamas.

We then have breakfast (grapefruit, cinnamon rolls, and fried rice) and light the Christ candle on our Advent wreath. Then it's time (finally) for the presents.




By the time we're done opening gifts, it's usually time to get dressed and make some lunch. Our long-standing Christmas lunch is waffles, bacon, and sausage. We then do some cleaning up, get our contribution ready for dinner, and then head to J.'s sister's house, where we join up with family, open more gifts, and have Christmas dinner.

A belated Merry Christmas to all of you!

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