Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was bright, sunny and beautiful.  As sometimes happens, everyone's plans changed minute by minute but we did our best to go with the flow. Poor cousin Ian had been sick the night before so the Witherspoons weren't able to join us as planned for a late-morning celebration at Nana and Papa's.  Great-Grandma Lola was in attendance though, as were Uncle John and cousins Christopher and Kathleen for short visits.  Nana made delicious white bean chicken chili and amazing nachos for lunch before we exchanged gifts.

see-they were beautiful!

The first gift Ben opened was a very fragile ornament but he was the most excited during opening of that.  For the next two days the excitement slowly waned to forced opening. Maybe next year I won't say, "maybe next year."

Meowsic is still one of his fave's.

Ben was clearly worn out from the previous couple day's festivities and all the Christmas fun and plopped right down among us for a snooze on the living room floor. :)

Kathleen and Christopher

Ryan and Papa Jim attaching the new seat.  Jim has been beautifully restoring his childhood Schwinn.

 We had planned to depart for home in the late afternoon as Ian was slated to be in a Christmas pageant that everyone else was going to attend.  This meant my first time being responsible for Christmas Eve dinner in many years and I took a nod from my Mom and Tante's tradition of crab legs and snacks and planned just that.  I also let Ben have whatever he chose and of course that was "peppermacaroni pizza." Knowing MeeMee would be dining alone, I invited her to join us and Nana and Papa joined at the last minute after Ian's pageant debut was cancelled.

The craziness of the day meant a very late bedtime for Ben and the rest of us but we got the cookies and milk set out for Santa along with some broccoli for the reindeer and settled down for our long winter's nap :).................