Christmas Eve

By Christmas Eve, Spencer had been sick for a week.  I had been sick for two days.  Elliott was on day one of sick.  My mom was sick, my sister-in-law Kendra was sick, and my niece Bella was sick.  My brother Nathan was starting to feel a bit rough.  We were a house of virus and illness. 

I spent most of the day in bed.  None of the four of us us went to church.  

I did make the kids get dressed so we could take a nice family picture and then I let them do whatever they wanted clothes wise.  Spencer changed.  Elliott stayed in his tree rex shirt.

I ditched my heels in favor of very comfy slippers. 

I also got my Christmas nails picture. 

The one duty I took on for Christmas Eve was pouring the aged eggnog into the serving bowls so only I knew which had aged dairy and which had fresh dairy.  It was a true blind taste test for everyone but me.

This is the eggnog that aged with all the ingredients, including dairy.

This had fresh dairy that I added that night.  I moved the tags before serving it.

I was afraid they were going to look different, but they were quite similar in appearance. 

I also put out some homemade limoncello that I've been steeping for the last month. 

I did a not great job taking pictures this year.  We're totally blaming illness.

For appetizers there were raw oysters on the half shell, 

And oysters Rockefeller, that had to be cooked in this contraption, because my parent's oven broke about a week before Christmas.  

Empty shells

Ceviche

There were a bunch of other appetizers too.  Never got pictures of them. 

I did get pictures of people though.  And that matters the most, right?

My mom's cousin Paula.  She lives in Alabama.  She's the only person that was there that isn't a regular, or semi-regular player in my posts. 

The kitchen table was the "sick" table.  If you had a fever you had to sit there. 

My brothers, when I said "smile". 

My dad and uncle, when I said "smile".

The sick bay living room. 

This is my mom negotiating with a sick three year old Bella that she needs to go watch her movie somewhere else because we're going to open presents and need the couch. She might as well be negotiating with a terrorist to release hostages.  

Eventually a screaming Bella was physically removed from the room and we got down to the business of presents. 

We all decided we were all too sick or full or sick and full to eat dessert, so the grand marnier that Nick was going to light on fire to flame the plum pudding, he just drank out of the pot instead.

At some point when presents were winding down, Michael put Elliott to bed because he was on the verge of complete and utter melt down, so it was just Spencer prepping the cookie plate for Santa. 

It was also the first year since Spencer was probably three that we didn't leave carrots and water for the reindeer.  Nobody cared.  We were all too sick. 

It didn't even matter, because Santa came!

There were stacks of presents, 

but also remnants of hot cocoa in the mug, and cookie crumbs on the plate.  

Up next: a very sick Christmas