Christmas 2011

I hope you had a wonderful and joyful Christmas yesterday!
It’s strange looking at photos of Christmas Day the next day.  2 days ago, life was overtaken with the wonder of Christmas, which this year included lots of fruit baskets, poinsettias, and homemade gift wrap.  Christmas morning has passed now, but I remember the lights and sparkles, questions and eagerness, planning and expectation.  A few family Christmas photos:
Merry Christmas!

Lydia in her Christmas dress

Our Christmas Days are usually pretty low key, with just our little family enjoying the day together.  This year, our house was buzzing with extended family.

Many of the family slept in because they attended Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.  Dominic and Claire thought they would perish waiting for everyone to awaken.  But they survived.

I always make sweet rolls on Christmas morning, prepared the night before so I just pop them in the oven in the morning.  It’s a treat my kids always look forward to.  When everyone was up (and had their coffee) chaos settled in.

We used to have an orderly gift opening ceremony, where each person would take turns opening a gift and showing their gift to the family.  But with a growing family we have become less formal.  One adult now supervises the distribution of gifts while the other takes care of picking up wrap and preventing wrestling matches.

The best gift of the year was having Christmas with Philip’s parents, his sister and her husband and baby.  This is the first big family Christmas we’ve ever had.  It was very busy but great fun.  Having a wee babe around on Christmas is wonderful.  Here are a few sweet photos Aidan and his little cousin Ben:

left to right: Aidan, Philip's mom, and Baby Ben

I enjoyed hearing adult laughter on Christmas morning.  Philip’s mom is very dignified, but she also knows how to have fun!

I spent a lot of my time in the kitchen this year cooking for our guests and preparing Christmas dinner.  On the Christmas Dinner menu:

  • Roast leg of lamb with a lemon-parsley topping
  • Mashed potatoes (made with sour cream and cream cheese)
  • Butternut squash & red onions tossed in olive oil
  • Green beans with nutmeg
  • Roasted peppers
  • For dessert:  pumpkin cheesecake with homemade whipped cream

Yum!  Thank goodness there are leftovers.  Here I am in my kitchen perch, trying to suck in my holiday eggnog 🙂

I hope your families enjoyed Christmas Day as much as we did!

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3 thoughts on “Christmas 2011

  1. hey mom!
    make more sticky buns later! i luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuve sticy buns! anyway…. turarria cristmas!!!.. oh yah turarria cristmas is over. then.. maltiwinia cristmas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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