Merry Happy Monday

Recapping last week's Christmas fun today, and linking it all with Hello Monday hosted by Holly and Sarah. 

We got to Daughter2's house Monday lunchtime and spent the afternoon playing with the grands. My daughter made this Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner that night and it was so good. I will definitely be making it myself someday soon. 

I feel like this post might be heavy on the food mentions, but c'est la holidays.

On Christmas Eve we had a nice breakfast courtesy of my son-in-law who made us sausage and eggs on the Blackstone. He grilled the hot Benton's sausage we'd picked up on our way into town and it's delish. I'd never purchased their sausage before but my daughter wanted the hot so we grabbed some to bring home too. It's not overly hot, just super flavorful. 

After breakfast we bundled everyone up for a walk, with a stop at the playground for sweet baby J to show us his tricks on the slide. 

This one y'all...

She's a mover and a shaker and we laugh and say when it comes to the grands it's the two little girls who are gonna give us all a run for our money. I cannot wait to see them together soon. 

My sister and her hubs sent my daughter a wonderful charcuterie gift from Gourmet Gift Baskets, which we enjoyed for lunch. The dried fruit and nut tray is amazing and there was a separate tray of cheese, sausage, and crackers. There's not a lot of dining out with littles this age but we didn't miss it. 

The babies both nap in the afternoon which gives everyone else a little time to relax too. 

For dinner my son--in-law cooked a prime rib that had first been slathered in garlic butter, and we had twice baked potatoes and broccoli to go with. Our family tradition used to be new pjs for everyone to open on Christmas Eve, but now that we have grandchildren I like to give the jammies earlier in the month so they can wear them all of December. I got all the grands and their parents the same set of the Christmas Cookie pattern from Caden Lane and they were so cute. 

And appropriate. My daughter the baker-

We didn't get to church on Christmas Eve as their service was at 5 PM and that's just a tricky time of day for a two and a half year old and a ten-month old. The little people manger helps with the telling of the story in a way the 2-year old can understand and that's the important thing. 

Christmas day dawned bright and early and it was so much fun to see the little man take it all in. You never know what they're going to remark on first, but he slayed us with his initial observation in a room full of gifts and an uwrapped t-ball set that, 'Some of these presents have bows. And some have no bow'  

He is so extra y'all. 

He was overjoyed with every single gift he was given and we leisurely opened presents, added batteries, worked new puzzles, tried to figure out how to turn off! the train when it needed a rest, enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls and an egg casserole, and thoughtful stocking stuffers for all the adults too. 

We have loved adding trucks and trains and cars and legos to our supply of toys in the house but it's fun to now have some little girls to buy for too. 

We Facetimed with the UK contingent and we're all looking forward to being on the same land mass when Christmas comes round again next year. 

Thursday we had a slow morning then went to a nearby park for a nice long walk. It felt good to move, and while I enjoy all the holiday-ing I also look forward to cleaner eating and less indulging. After December 31st I mean. 

Thursday night hubs and I were left in charge of the littles while their mom and dad had an honest to goodness date night. They went to a nearby Italian restaurant where Momma was able to enjoy a whole entire complete meal uninterrupted. Happy new year to her! 

It's the little things, right? 

Christmas is still up at my house and will come down sometime after the first of the year. I hate the thought of putting it all away, but I do love the thought of a clean house. Hope your Christmas was merry and bright! 

A quick p.s. for anyone new here...I host a weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge on my blog and you are most welcome to join the fun. It's a random Q & A with room for a thought of your own too. The questions will post on Sundays this year, and the link-up will still go live on Wedenesdays. Happy new year everyone! 

Christmas 2022

Time to try to capture in words some of the sweet small moments that made for a magical Christmas. If I were to keep it simple it would be this-

Also, if you read here you know I'm not real good at keeping it simple. 

The fun started last Wednesday when Daughter2 and her hubs and the cutest baby boy in the world made a pit stop at our house to leave a car, enroute to the in-laws. My son-in-law has to head back to work Tuesday, but daughter2 and the little guy will stay a few more days. 

They headed over to the in-laws a couple of hours away for an early Christmas with that side of their family before returning here Christmas Eve morning. 

In the meantime, daughter1 and her family arrived Thursday night. They had planned to stop and spend the night with hubs brother and sister-in-law, and introduce baby girl to her great grandma, but the forecast made everyone rethink that idea. They managed a quick hello with hubs mom, then got back in the car to make it here before the icy weather arrived. 

The excitement was palpable and its just the best thing in the world to be a part of. The boys wanted to see all of our ornaments, find their name on a stocking, handle every wrapped gift, eat all the Christmas cookies, and tell us everything about everything. My heart can hardly take it. 

It was positively frigid so we all stayed indoors other than their quick trip over to the other grandparents to say hello and merry Christmas. They live super close which is a blessing. We played, worked a puzzle, built things, watched A Charlie Brown Christmas (their first viewing), and talked about everything under the sun including, but not limited to, their Christmas wishes (a pedal bike for the mancub and a firetruck for Max), how a mongoose has immunity to cobra venom, how beautiful their baby sister is, how it's too cold to swim in the lake, how Santa is coming and so is Auntie M, and much much more. 

My absolute favorite thing about the holiday this year was having both girls, both sons-in-law, and all four of my grands in the same house at the same time, a literal first. 

Did we take a whole group shot? Of course not. I see people sharing their whole family pics on social media, and I wonder how they manage it? It feels like an impossible task here with busy boys and tiny babies and 'ain't nobody got time to sit still and pose' for a picture. 

Candids also say it happened. 

Little man is a fan of his big boy cousins. 

He thinks baby girl is pretty special too. 

She is so content while the chaos swirls around her. 

Life with brothers lol. She is so much like her momma was when she was a baby... easy, gentle, darling. 

Hubs grilled steaks on Christmas Eve with a side of lobster skewers, and my son-in-law read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas before the littles were tucked in tight. That has always been our tradition and it's fun to see it carry on. 

Santa came-

There was indeed a pedal bike and a firetruck and some happy little people. 

There were sisters in matching pjs-

Conversations beside the fire holding one another's babies-

There was a Benton's holiday ham on the Big Green Egg for Christmas dinner, which we all declared a hit. So good! 

There was much laughing and pogo -sticking and diaper changing and lego building and just a little bit of sleeping which nobody minded because it's Christmas and family's in the house. 

And underneath it all, holding everything together, is the miracle of a tiny babe lying in a manger, who brought hope to the world. Who brings hope still. 

Christmas Unwrapped

I always enjoy the week between Christmas and the New Year. We're generally at home and it's quiet here, the days have a slower pace, and I still love sitting by the tree. Daughter 2 is here for a few more days too and she straightens my hair and cooks us dinner. We sip cocoa and play a lot of Skipbo and have really nice talks.  

We logged a lot of miles in the car this Christmas and we're all happy to have a break from the driving. Technically hubs did all the driving, but still...

We started our travels with a three+ hour drive to collect my mother-in-law in Tennessee. We didn't get to town until about 7 so essentially had dinner and got up early Friday morning for the 8+ hour drive to my sister-in-law's house in Maryland. FYI-all the driving had + signs beside the hours because holiday travel! We were not the only ones headed north. Or south. Or sideways. 

Anyway, we arrived in Maryland just in time to grab dinner before going to see my nephew in a play-A Christmas Story. So cute! We had a little Christmas Saturday morning with hubs mom and his sister's family, before getting back into the car for another 2.5 hour+++++ drive to my mom's house in N.J. 

This was the first Christmas we've spent with all my siblings in about 4 years and it was fun to have us all together. I know it made my mother so happy. We were missing Daughter1 and her sweet little family but we facetimed a lot and passed the phone around so everyone could see this cutie patootie. Oh my word, he is just the best y'all.

Hubs (like his father before him) always read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas' to his girls on Christmas Eve, and he was so touched to see my son-in-law carrying on the tradition.

Plus, our baby loves books! I'm pretty sure he's reading along with his dad.  

We trekked into the city for Christmas Eve at my sister's house and some of my family had a whole lot of fun with their karaoke machine. There might be video.

We had the most amazing Christmas Eve dinner. My brother-in-law made Beef Wellingtons which were not only beautiful, but also delicious. 

We had stockings and presents at my mama's house Christmas morning and I want to point out this gift bag has been under our tree every year for the past 20 Christmases. 

No Barbie inside, but the bag makes us all smile. Actually I have two, but I didn't want to send Daughter1 her bag because I'm suddenly aware of the fact that they've been under my tree for 20 years and I'd like to keep that going. 

Is she the cutest or what? My niece got her what I think might have been everyone's favorite present this year-a cupcake hat! 

Daughter2 loves cupcakes (both the baking and the eating) and this hat is too adorable for words. She wore it to the grocery store yesterday and several people stopped her to comment. Super cute! 

We said this was the year of the suitcase because Daughter2 got a brand new set, hubs and I got a new bag, my mom got a bag, and my sister and brother-in-law both got new bags. Now we just need somewhere to go. 

I know where I want to go.

We had Christmas dinner at my brother's house, which is where hubs, Daughter2 and I were staying and it was really nice not to have drive anywhere. We had a fantastic German meal and my mom's wonderful cookies for dessert. I tried to get a picture of my mom with her daughters, but one of us likes to make us all laugh so this is the best I could do. 

The day after Christmas is my big sister's birthday, and we always make a big deal out of that. I learned from the best-ha! 

Daughter2 and I spent the afternoon with her over at my mom's house, playing games and laughing a lot. We had the birthday dinner at my brother's house and there were more presents and wonderful family time. 

I did get a picture of all my siblings with my mama and am so happy to have a snapshot of us all in the same place at the same time. It's a treasure. 

And then just like that we were back in the car for the long ride home. The traffic wasn't terrible but 689 miles is still 689 miles so a lot of driving. Daughter2 had us listen to a podcast called Serial and hubs and I were hooked which helped make the time pass. 

Plus there was this sky-

Now bring on the new year!
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