Saturday, December 29, 2012

Keeping Christmas

I'm still allowed to recap Christmas, right?  Is anyone else confused about what day of the week it is? Hubs has been off since the 17th and daughters have been coming and going, and I wake up and have to really think about what day it is.  Hmmm...maybe I've had one too many Christmas cookies?  
                            

We spent the Saturday before Christmas in the city.  There is nothing like New York City at Christmastime and everyone should experience the magic at least once in their lifetime.


It was a wee bit chilly, but you can't let a little thing like cold weather in December keep you away.


Please disregard my crazy hair. Being warm was more important, and we were determined to see "the tree"  


And some of the fabulous storefronts too.


Harry Winston does it up right, doesn't he? After we saw the lights and sights we headed to dinner at Bobby Flay's Bar Americain. The girls and I tweeted him as we were seated, but he didn't make it in while we were there. The food was still wonderful and we love dining here.  

When it comes to grilling a steak, my hubs could give Bobby a run for his money. He braved the frigid temps to cook our Christmas Eve entree and the girls and I made a pretty salad, brussel sprouts with pancetta, and sauteed mushrooms to accompany the Bedrock sized Ribeyes. Hubs refers to these as yabbadabbado steaks.  

After supper, but before the Christmas cookies, we attended a beautiful church service. I never tire of voices joined in Silent Night in a candlelit sanctuary the night before Christmas. Falling snow greeted us as we made our way out of church. Christmas Eve bliss.


We came home and the girls and I opened our traditional pjs and then we all settled onto the couch to watch A Christmas Story.  


Christmas morning dawned sunny and white.

Santa came!

But first!! Must get that picture on the stairs~  


Everyone was happy with their gifts and my girls managed to really surprise me with one of theirs. They purchased the domain name for my blog. That means something, but Daughter1 has to explain it to me.  

And set it up for me.  
And then tell me what's different, but it's something.   
I'm going to be a dot.com. 
I think?  

I surprised hubs with a chainsaw. 
His life is now complete.  

FYI-you're never too old for Disney...


After stockings and breakfast and prezzies we piled into the car and headed to my mom's house in South Jersey. We had Christmas dinner at my brother's house and my sister in law made my favorite ham and pineapple stuffing. There were more presents and chaos and time to enjoy aunts and uncles and cousins my girls don't see nearly often enough.  


We spent the night in South Jersey because my big sis has a birthday the day after Christmas and a fuss must be made. My younger sister and her hubs hosted the birthday dinner at their home in Philadelphia where there was yet another fabulous meal. Christmas is a lot about the eating, right?  January will be about the sugar detox.


p.s-that calendar hasn't turned yet so we are still free to finish off the rest of our cookies.   

My nephew got some fun things for Christmas this year. Here's hub showing him how to work the very official Batwatch.  Hubs will say he was just being a helpful uncle, but we all know he was having a little too much fun flashing that Bat symbol all over everywhere.  

Hey nephew! Here's what happens when you leave your 20-something cousins unattended with your creatures.  ahem.  

Or your Furby is seated near an uncle.

My sister really should have consulted me before she told Santa to get that one. If you have kids the age of mine you'd successfully blocked the whole Furby/Tamagotchi/toys that talk and need 'babysitting' while your real kids are at school kind of thing. They're back and they're smarter and they still don't turn off.  Here's a tip-they need to sleep in a darkened closet deprived of any sensory stimulation.  You're welcome.

Daughter1 had to be at work bright and early Thursday morning so we had to take her to the Amtrak station in Philly after dinner.  Boo.


It was a lovely Christmas. We eke everything from it that we can...the love, the warmth, the sense of wonder. We hold tightly to all that Christmas means, and as it fades from memory the calendar turns and December is within reach once more.

God is good like that.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."  Charles Dickens

20 comments:

  1. Your tree is beautiful and it looks like you had a magical Christmas!

    And I am also with you, I have no idea what day it is. I thought tomorrow night was New Years Eve.

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  2. I missed seeing the tree this year cause Kevin was gone so much this year. Looks like a wonderful holiday for you Joyce! Furby? we had them too. I didn't realize that had made a come back but I guess like most things they come back in time. Happy New Year to you and your family! see you in 2013.

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  3. that looks amazing! :) i love NYC at Christmas - it's always so fun to see it!

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  4. I agree, I have lost track of the days. Today is Saturday! I haven't even written my recap yet, only one about Skye. You have no idea how much I want to spend a Christmas in New York. Definitely a bucket list item for me. Awesome picture on the stairs and your house/tree looks absolutely beautiful. We had a lovely Christmas but I have to say that I do miss having family members within driving distance. So glad your Christmas was a beautiful one.

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  5. I loved all the Christmas shots and as far as I am concerned...you could post them all year long!

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  6. No matter how cold, your day in the city looked wonderful. It looks like you did, indeed, pack as much Christmas joy as you possibly could in the time you had. I especially like the picture on the stairs.

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  7. Great photos!
    Your Christmas was very traditional and I find that so awe-inspiring.
    I bet your girls will continue all the traditions when they are Mom's.
    BTW, I hear ya about the cookies and all the sugar!!

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  8. I like your advice. I must see New York City at Christmas time. I will put it on my list.

    Your daughters are amazing. What a neat gift. Thanks for sharing these wonderful holiday highlights with us.

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  9. I just told Hubby today that I have not known what day of the week it is all week. And, I won't until after the 1st.

    Enjoyed sharing in your Christmas. You look like your girls sister, instead of their Mother. 3 cuties and I know your husband thoroughly enjoys being in the presence of such beauty and fun!

    Oh, I mean to email you and tell you that I dreamed about you about 4 or 5 nights ago. It was so funny, I was working on the hillside that you all recently redid beside your driveway. I had a shovel (mercy) and was out there with the workers. Where that came from I do not know but who knows where dreams come from. :o)

    Can't wait for next week's Hodge Podge..........

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  10. Sounds like the best of holidays! My hubby has been off since the 21st everyday it's a blur not even sure what day it is mostly I blame it on the cookies! Nothing better than being with family that is for sure.....Happy New Year!

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  11. Your Christmas was perfect! It's nice to enjoy the holiday with the family. Friends of ours went to NYC the Friday before Christmas. They stood in front of the very same tree you did! Have a Happy New Year Joyce!

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  12. It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas. I've never been much of anywhere , so I can only imagine NYC at Christmastime! Love the photos.

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  13. When I was little we went downtown Charlotte every Christmas to see the store windows---mainly, Belk and Ivey's--and I LOVED them! I've always wanted to see the ones in NYC, I imagine that they are spectacular! We have a Hairy Winston in our town...where Santa bought Tucker's stocking stuffers. LOL I'm so glad you had your girls home! We took Deanie back to the airport Friday night. Why does this get harder instead of easier? Wishing you all a very happy, healthy, joyful, prosperous New Year!

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  14. It looks like you had an amazing Christmas! Happy New Year!

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  15. Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas!

    I'm not a fan of the big cities, but I would like to get to NYC one of these days - before Christmas. ;-)

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  16. Oh my goodness - I had totally forgotten babysitting the Tamagotchis. How funny!

    I want an East coast Christmas. It seems more Christmasy than the mid-west.

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  17. Greetings from Australia, now thats from over the Pacific (pond).. Your photos are brilliant and everyone looks so happy I can almost hear the laughter. There is nothing like family.
    All of my children managed to be in the one spot, at my eldest daughters at Buderim, near Mooloolaba on the Pacific Ocean.. It wasn't too hot so we celebrated outside and around the pool with the younger ones enjoying the water. I lived in TN for 3 years but never experienced a white Christmas.. It a wonderful world, so diverse. Blessings. Crystal

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  18. Loved this post! So full of fun and family. I love that your girls bought you a domain name...super sweet and thoughtful.

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  19. Capri K, a domain name is one that is just name-here.com. No .blogspot.com, just .com. For example: fashionandfigureskating.blogspot.com (my blog) isn't a domain name. But fashionandfigureskating.com would be a domain name.

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