We celebrated Christmas "Vigil-style" this year. I must say it was lovely to have Christmas on a Tuesday, as Tom and I were both off Monday and Tuesday. It made for an extra long weekend and extra time together. We did some work on the house and finished getting in our bathroom windows, which installed differently than the others. Pop came over and worked with Tom to install a big ol' heavy basement door to the cellar. It was chilly work, and I appreciate that Tom said we shouldn't take all our vacation at Christmas time, when conditions for working on the house aren't prime. All the same we got a bunch accomplished.
Then it was time to shower and clean up for Christmas mass (on Christmas Eve). The family tradition is to get together after mass for snacks and gift-exchange. 10 pm made for a late dinner, and the kids had to wait even longer to open gifts until we all finished.
Tom passed out candy bags to tide these three over until the wrapping paper came off.
I think we left Mom & Pop's just minutes before Christmas. We were pooped, and I might have had a little too much green and red drink. Tom and I collapsed at home after we got the fire stoked back up and the food put away.
About 6 in the morning, nature was calling. I took the opportunity to stoke the fire back up, and to my surprise I saw that we'd be having a WHITE CHRISTMAS! I felt all the excitement of a six year old on Christmas - not for presents under the tree inside but for the gift of moisture all over the trees outside.
These pictures were requested by my dad who answered the phone singing, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" on Christmas morning and then was a wee bit surly when he heard we had in fact received a white Christmas while he was looking out at a wet Christmas.
By mid afternoon we really weren't ready to eat again, but eat we did. We joined back up at Mom & Pop's to see the kids arrive with new toys and stories of the ones left at home. Sofia was happy to prance in with a purse on her arms with a doll sticking out of it. We ate, we talked, we laughed. We were all tired. Such a wonderfully prepared meal left us all needing a little time before Andres' birthday dessert and presents.
Sofia found my slippers and proceeded to wobble across the floor in them - a little too heavy for her little feet. Monday night she was clomping around in Sara's heels, which were a better fit.
Marie prepared funnel cake for Andres, who is now 14!
The holiday blazed right by as we got back to work. Our Advent wreath was put away, but the tree still shines on - Christmas isn't over until January 6th.
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