You want Christmas, I've got Christmas

NJ is a long way by car from Tennessee but I'm so glad we decided to drive rather than fly this year. The airports were most definitely not the place to be Christmas weekend. We headed south on Wednesday and when I say we did not have one spare inch of space I am not kidding.

Oh the pup had plenty of room...it was just us humans who were jammed in with bags beside us and between our feet and piled up over the windows and on top of the car. Dixie slept peacefully for most of the 12+ hour drive and that's what's important, right?

Daughter1 had to work up until Wednesday so she was making her own way over the mountain from South Carolina on Thursday. The weather cooperated and she arrived around lunchtime. Hubs was going to meet her so she could follow him up the mountain to the house but her gps told her to exit the highway far earlier than we anticipated and it brought her to us on some small winding mountain road that we'd have preferred she not navigate. Hubs and I passed the time wrapping, cooking, fretting and pacing. Do you ever stop worrying about your children? I'm afraid the answer to that question my friends, is no.

Now that daughter1 has left university life and entered the working world this is how holidays will unfold. Letting that thought sink in has been a process for hubs and I. A gradual awareness and acceptance of a new stage in life. But for the sisters this is a new thought. At some point during the morning daughter2 chimed in and said, 'I can't wait for daughter1 to get here!' My girls live in the same town and spend a lot of time together. I know mothers who say they feel like they are part referee but I have never experienced that with my girls. They are best buds and have been from the word go. Daughter 2 had been at home in NJ for over a week before Christmas and was missing her sister. And sister was missing her too.

The idea that one day they may not spend Christmas Eve and day in the same house is something they hadn't considered until recently. It dawned on them this holiday week that one day in the not too distant future they will spend Christmas in two different places. They will have homes to decorate and in laws to share the years and children of their own to create traditions and memories for too. We're all learning as we go in this growing up business.

Christmas Eve was so nice...we spent the day together enjoying the beautiful views from the cabin, finishing up the last minute wrapping, and preparing a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We ate late in the afternoon then headed down the mountain for church.

I think the Christmas Eve service is my favorite part of Christmas. I love the music and the calm and the quiet and the candlelight. The retelling of a story I've heard thousands of times that never gets old. The chance to step back from the activity of the holiday and think about why we are even celebrating in the first place. Life has a way of getting knocked off kilter sometimes and this is the moment I feel myself regain perspective.

Afterwards we headed back up into the mountains for the traditional opening of the Christmas Eve pjs, setting out treats for Santa, and finally Grandpa reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with everyone gathered round.

Its special for my in laws to have all their children and grandchildren in one place. We're all so spread out and have been all of our married lives which means this doesn't happen very often.

We woke up Christmas Day to snow. I mean SNOW!!! It was absolutely beautiful. Truly, words do not do it justice. However, lots of snow means lots of inconvenience particularly when you are perched atop a mountain. We had hoped to just hop in the car and be down at the main house to open stockings at 7 am (little boys in the house can't wait much longer ya know!) but the icy weather and steep steep hills made this impossible. Thankfully the snow plow operator came to our rescue with door to door service...he brought the plow up the mountain and we followed him down. He did this several more times during our stay and not only that, he did it with a smile...gotta love that Southern hospitality!

Stockings were opened while we snacked on coffee cake followed by our traditional breakfast of sausage and egg casserole. More presents were opened...

and modeled...

and played with...the uncles used the excuse of 'playing with the nephews' but secretly they couldn't wait to get their hands on this particular toy.

We had lots of hors d'oeuvres later in the afternoon along with the leftovers from our turkey dinner and a honey baked ham thrown in for good measure. I feel like we should have purchased stock in Kraft back in November because my goodness, the amount of cream cheese we consumed over the holidays was staggering. I am happy to see lettuce and raw vegetables this week.

There is still a bit more to tell but I think I'll save the rest for part 3 since per usual, this post is getting long. I'm sure it would be better to record the Christmas festivities as they unfolded but who had time to be on their computer?

Technology is a beautiful thing.

So is real life.