Christmas Comes Just Once a Year

The week of Christmas has come to a close. The only good that can come from that is we may get our Christmas snacking a bit under control. It was a wonderful week and we’ll slip into a bit of normalcy as we prep for the coming of 2015.

Christmas started at our house but the Dagman side was held not too far down the road at Grace’s. All 38 people…give or take depending on what age you start the counting. There are some big personalities and some loud personalities and the ages ranged from 10 days old to 85ish. No shortage of food or festivities.

The next morning, on Christmas Day, we headed out to the farm.
Matt helped Dad with chores while Mom and I caught up from the night before and we sat down to open presents. Funny thing about Christmas day, it seems that time doesn’t matter. I couldn’t tell you what time we started opening presents, stopped, started lunch, stopped, or whatnot. It’s a huge blur. It’s relaxing and slow paced and comfortable and wonderful. Matt got surprised face twice for sure. The first was his gift from Santa, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie, and then the Sausage stuffer that he got from Mom and Dad. Those made his top five along with a couple gifts from me and a gift from Alaina.

Lunch was my favorite, fondue. It is fun and different and slow paced and like organized snacking. After cleaning up, we played a little Whoonu, and headed home.

We celebrated our first Christmas in our house together with a few gifts. I had given Matt a briefcase, a couple butchering boards, a butchering kit, a few pullovers, and some seasonings – seemed to fit really well with his stuffer that he had gotten. He went overboard. He brought me into the 21st century with a smartphone, a couple of well appreciated cutting boards, and then a painting that I had had my eye on. I had sent him a picture in July from a gallery in Dickinson. He didn’t say much, asked if it was necessary. I agreed it wasn’t and I moved on. I was very surprised when I opened it up on Christmas evening.

The next day we headed out to Lansford for our final Christmas. We had another round of presents where I couldn’t believe our luck. Matt got his highly coveted chopsaw, which was also a present to me. But I became the lucky one. I had commented earlier in the year about these geese that I had seen at a street fair made out of rocks. I was surprised to open the box up and see Mama Goose in all her glory and Michele and Randy presented me with the rest of the family. This went along with what my parents got me as they gave me a spotbot cleaner, something that wasn’t on my list but that I had commented on wanting. And here I’ve complained that no one listens to me! It was wonderful to watch presents we gave opened at all the places and reminded me just how loved and fortunate that we are.

Best meal: WHAT TO PICK!!! I think it’s really a close tie between Christmas Fondue, which always makes top 5 for the year or Christmas Pizza! Randy can’t make a bad pizza, I’m sure of it.

Quotes....this was a tough one too. Not sure if it's my sister calling Matt the Brawny man or the quotes that came from the Cards Against Humanity game playing in Lansford with Michele, Randy, Brendan, and Claudia. I do think I'll settle with a safe, PG one....

Perry: Is that the Cowabunga-Dude Movie?
And another one that made me smile.....
Perry: Dear, what do you want cooked?? I'll start fondueing it for you.