Christmas Eve

Finally!  After the post about the Eve of Christmas Eve Eve and the post about Christmas Eve Eve we are finally at the real, authentic Christmas Eve. 

The day actually started with some shopping.  Michael and I had forgotten to go to the butcher shop to get the bacon we always get my uncles, so we made a last minute trip in Tucson. 

We also went to two Walmarts for a gift we forgot to buy for Spencer (Pokemon boxer briefs- for when I'm reading this post in five years and I wonder what) and we were reminded why we don't move back to Tucson.  A trip to any Tucson Walmart is a good reminder. 

The kids played video games while we were gone.  It was pretty much hour number 1 of 1,450 hours of video game playing over the next 10 days. 

OK, they did decorate cookies that day too. 

After our morning shopping trip I did my second set of jamberry wraps.  I'm hooked.  These lasted a really long time too.  I took them off after 12 days, but they could have gone another day or two. 

We went to 4:00 mass, but I made everybody take pictures before church. Good thing too because it was raining when we walked back out to the car and my hair never did regain it's original volume. 

A test shot.  I realized the lens was dirty as is evidenced by the smear on my face. 

I bought Elliott's sweater after Christmas last year.  I paid 72 cents for it.  I'm positive I already told you that, but, whatever. 

Elliott will probably wear Spencer's sweater next year. 

People started arriving around 6:00

My parent's friend Rosemary. 

She always brings gifts for the kids. 

We broke out the eggnog that had been aging for six weeks.  It was triple boozy and it was smooth and mellow and delicious. 

Ginger hated her necklace, so I didn't make her wear it. 

I plated the salad. 

Presents!

Plum pudding that my mom made in late September and has been bathing in alcohol on a regular basis since then.  This is Nick pouring flaming grand marnier all over it. 

Right before bed we did water and carrots/apples for the reindeer, 

and cookies/hot chocolate/milk for Santa. 

Hooray Christmas Eve!

The Eve of Christmas Eve

Hello friends and family and loyal blog readers!  I am glad that all five of you have decided to return for 2017. 

We've done the festive holiday thing.  We've done the exciting new year thing.  We've done the everybody in the house getting sick thing. We've done the return to work thing.  Now it's time to catch up on blogging the last two weeks and move on with January.  Because exciting stuff is happening this month.  

On Friday, December 24th we packed up all of our stuff and headed to Tucson. When I'm packing for more than two days I always hang my clothes on the frame of our canopy bed so I can organize.  I was laughing because my holiday wardrobe was so dreary looking.  Hardly any color at all. 

Once we got to Tucson we unpacked and got settled and then Laura, Sara and Samantha came over for dinner.  We were supposed to go to their house, but Josh wasn't feeling well so we adjusted. 

Ginger helped herself to the pizza boxes. 

Then we did a little gift exchange.  Kids to kids and adults to adults.  The adult gifts were gag gifts. 

Laura had pre warned me that Sam picked this gift and that it was really a gift for herself.   She gave it to us with the gift receipt.  

We got Josh and Laura chocolate with beef jerky in it and matching Grinch underwear. 

They got us Walking Dead glasses and a very naughty coloring book that can not be shown publicly.

And then Josh, feeling a bit better, came over for about 20 minutes. 

It was a great kick-off into the holiday weekend.