Holiday Round-Up: Yum!

This was a pretty perfect Christmas. We arrived late on Friday night and had Chinese food with the family. My brother and his son were in town for the weekend, so we pushed up Christmas to Sunday morning. On Saturday, we went out for breakfast, fed the ducks at the lake, read, played music and had a big dungeness crab dinner for Christmas eve I.

Sunday morning was Christmas I. A big fire in the fireplace, cranberry orange bread, pajamas, tea, stockings, all the traditions. I received some nice presents, including a set of crystal water and champagne glasses that my grandmother got for a wedding present and my mom’s charm bracelet. Also, a really nice binder my mom put together with photos and stories about my different Stockton, Godwin, Bemis and Williams ancestors.

My brother left for Sacramento around lunch and we lounged about until Rob’s sister and nephews came over at 3:00. Lots of legos before a dinner of jacket potatoes (Isn’t the british term for baked potatoes fun?) and barbecued sausages. After dinner, we baked and decorated sugar cookies. Such cute kids!

Monday was a very lazy day. We spent most of it in our pajamas reading around the fire. I dashed through The Lady and the Unicorn (not very good, almost the same as her other book). Family friend, Yvette, dropped by for a visit in the afternoon. Christmas service at church at 6:00. Big fondue dinner for Christmas eve II with champagne.

Christmas morning II was mellow on Tuesday. Family friend, Sue, dropped by for a visit at eight. Rob and I went to visit his sister’s family at nine. She had smartly purchased a windfall of legos from another family for her kids, at least 7 gallons worth. We all dove in, Rob making a “space car” and me operating a lego hospital to reassemble amputees.

Back home in the afternoon to open Jean’s presents and prepare for Christmas dinner. We were eight in total for a dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, pearl onion gratin (my favorite), pumpkin pie and apple pie. Our holiday cracker tradition had us all festively sitting around the table in gold paper crowns.

Rob and I left early this morning to drive back to the city.

PS: I’ll have photos tomorrow, my camera is somewhere in the car.