Christmas

Hello friends. We're back in the 864 (although my own number is not 864) and today I'm recapping our Christmas in the 215. We cover a lot of geography always. 

We spent Christmas in the city of Brotherly Love this year, aka Philadelphia. My younger sister and her family live there, and my momma lives with them. They have room for a big crowd in their beautiful home which makes large holiday gatherings really nice. 

My brother lives nearby so he and my sister-in-law come and go from their own house, but my older sister, my niece, and my niece's husband all flew in from SC too. 

Elf was on our flight. He paced a lot. Too much maple syrup perhaps? 

Travel was smooth and we arrived in Philly around noon. That evening we all went to dinner at a NJ steakhouse which is something of an institution. For those who've never been to this part of the country, Philly is just a short car ride across the bridge from south Jersey.  

I had lobster ravioli that was delicious, but very rich, and we all had the cesear salad made tableside with a whole lotta garlic. So good! 

My sweet momma with her girl gang. 

The day before Christmas was spent doing last minute wrapping, prepping for our turkey/ham dinner that evening, and catching up with family. My brother in-law made breakfast pizzas which were yummy and we had snacks and too many cookies in the afternoon. 

Also on Christmas Eve hubs went with my nephew and brother-in-law to pick up our Christmas morning breakfast from a local favorite-Marchianos. They prepare the most fabulous breakfast breads which are similar to calzones, and are filled with egg-pepper-cheese, ham and cheese, bacon-egg-cheese, and more.

You have to order them well in advance and they give you a time for pick up. Still a long long line, but the waiting is part of the fun, and the men enjoy the whole experience. 

We played a fun game my sister brought called Blank Slate , and there was a roaring fire which would not have happened had we stayed in South Carolina. It was 75 degrees at home.  

There's a wonderful bakery in my sister's neighborhood and she had purchased trays of cookies, a carrot cake, and a pecan pie so plenty of sweets. 

Christmas morning we opened stockings, then had the breads for our breakfast, then opened more gifts. Both girls Facetimed and we got to see the grands who were having a wonderful day in their own homes with their other grandparents. 

That afternoon my brother-in-law's brother stopped by to visit for a bit, then my brother and sister-in-law, and my sister-in-law's brother (did you get all that???) all came for Christmas dinner. Hubs played sous chef and helped with the port wine reduction. 

My sister and brother-in-law outdid themselves with all the fabulous meals, and Christmas Day was no different. 

We had steak and lobster, asparagus, and a vegetable tian that was both pretty and tasty. 

The day after Christmas is my older sister's birthday and we always make a big deal of it because she insists-lol. Not really, but it's become something we really celebrate since we're all very often together. 

The original fab four with our momma-

We had a delicious brunch at home and then that afternoon we all went over to the Garden State for a birthday dinner hosted by my brother and sister-in-law. A few more friends who are like family joined the party and a good time was had by all. 

An ice storm moved in while we were at my brother's house and the drive home was treacherous. We crawled along and saw lots of stopped and sliding vehicles, but thankfully made it home unscathed. 

Several of us played some cards after we got home, and I learned Texas Hold 'Em, which was a fun way to wrap up the celebrating. 

We flew home Saturday afternoon. Our flight was only slightly delayed and we'd have been in on time except! once we landed the airport seemed surprised to see us and we sat on the tarmac over 45 minutes waiting on someone to open the door. 

It was fun to get away, but there's truly no place like home. I've always loved the week between Christmas and the new year. No pressure, the tree's still up and lit, and there's lots of time to think about what was and what will be. 

Wishing you peace as this old year rolls into the new...

Linking today's post with Holly and Sarah for their regular Monday weekend recap hop.