It's been a festive, full week. It was front-end loaded with Christmas and birthday celebrating and now we are sleeping in, watching movies, Ted Lasso and old family videos, playing games, cuddling kitties and finishing up all the Christmas treats. Our New Years plans were cancelled yesterday and while I love being with these favorite friends at Windmill Beach, a favorite place, this year I am happy to be home. A book I've been anticipating finally arrived and I am hoping that the last read of 2021 may be my best. There's nothing better than curling up by the tree with my coffee, a compelling read and my cats first thing in the morning, or last thing in the afternoon. Or any time really.
This Christmas made me happy and filled my heart to the brim. Despite the crazy world we live in, my little world is filled with love and laughs and lots of goodness. My mom made an appearance last night in a video taken fifteen years ago at Lake Winnepisaukee. Seeing her, well it audibly took my breath away. God how I miss her. Crazy Cousin Carol made a cameo too. I see them and I think how important it is to give and accept love because you just never know when you are going to lose someone special to you. I'm forever grateful that they knew how much they meant to me. The hard work is showing up and doing that every day. It's 100 percent worth it though.
We celebrated Christmas Eve at my brother and sister-in-law's. They are the king and queen as far as host and hostess go and it was as lovely as ever. We started with Tom & Jerry's and white elephant and it was a nice mix up to do a pass before dinner. Loie scored another singing plushie. 2021 Twerk gave 2020 Mingo a run for his money. The karaoke microphone was another family favorite and the Let's Go Brandon shirt was stolen numerous times. We weren't supposed to give gifts except for to the kids, of course, but everyone always breaks the rules. I complain about it, but then I do it too. And the Christmas Day breakfast baskets I put together for my parents and my aunt and uncle were so much fun to bake for and assemble. My parents gave us all a cooking class at Gloriosos. We'll take over the school sometime soon. These are my kind of gifts and completely worth breaking the rules to bequeath.
Ashley made a beautiful salad and a piping hot pot of beef bourguignon that was the perfect holiday bowl of sustenance and comfort. Brad made coffee drinks after dinner and we enjoyed my Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream for dessert. We ended the night with champagne cocktails and I'm pretty sure we used every glass in the house before the night was over. No, I know we did.
Ashley sent us home with a tray of fresh croissants that proofed overnight and made the most delicious Christmas morning breakfast. I think this will be a new tradition. Definitely.
I was up alone with the kittens who found their presents overnight and helped themselves. Christmas is just as much for cats as it is for kids. The Tres Amigos were totally spoiled. The two humans were too. Spoiled as in really stoked about their gifts. I had to wake them up though to begin the exchange. Long gone are the days of Mike and I begging for 10 more minutes and still getting up at dawn. That I do not miss. I also don't miss ripping through the presents as fast as possible. Now, we take our time.
My brother and sister-in-law joined us just before the Packer game Christmas Day for homemade Christmas pizza pies and games...football, golf, Wizard. We stayed in our jams ( the girls matching, the boys boycotting and that's ok) all day and night and had a very low key gathering. This too is a new, much loved tradition. The guys played poker and the girls retired to the family room to watch Love Actually.
Sunday was Wegehaupt Family Christmas and everyone was there. That's a full house and it was good to all be together again because it's been awhile. The brothers were in charge of dinner. The plan was to give mom a deserved break. We started the collaboration by picking up a couple pans of Glorioso's lasagna. Everyone else filled in the rest. It was a fine, scrumptious idea and, perhaps, another new tradition.
We celebrated our birthday boy Monday. It was a Ted choice day and a good one. More on that later because it deserves it's very own post. And now you understand why I'm perfectly happy to stay home this weekend.
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