Although the sewing room and storage areas were torn apart because of the water damage last fall, I dragged out a small Christmas tree and the Hallmark Santa's Workshop ornaments to decorate for JanuMerry. I spent weeks wrapping presents (whose idea was it to attach $$$ to small gifts?) but the effect of 40 individually wrapped packages under the tree was worth the effort. Then the Kansas contingent added their presents. Wow!
After I asked Misty for kids' food preferences, Kelly volunteered to make spaghetti. (Whew!) And I added a small crock pot of Bob Evan's mac 'n' cheese which Cameron especially liked. Hot turkey and gravy over buns was popular again along with bbq ribs.
Adam, Sarah, Riley and Andrew, Misty, Cameron and Kaya left around 10 pm. Kelly and Rodney stayed all night.
The tradition started last year of having Christmas during the daylight hours continues. Adjustments were made this year because the Chiefs are playing on December 25. So, we celebrated on Christmas Eve Day.
Hot tea was my drink of choice while we opened presents but I switched to wine when we had pizza for lunch.
Barney suggests that we cut down on presents next year. I will give him Symphony nuts and he will give me Lyndor chocolates.
Delaying "Christmas" is nothing new for us. So, after several text exchanges...among several people...we selected January 7, 2024 as the date to celebrate Christmas 2023. We also agreed to start gathering at 1 pm.
Kelly and Rodney made it to St. Joseph at 12:50 but the last of the Kansas contingent didn't arrive until after 6 pm. Visits to Pudgie were made during the interval.
Seven adults and three children created a lively atmosphere and we enjoyed having the young ones to help hand out presents. Riley took his job very seriously, making sure he was delivering gifts to the right people. Best Gift Award goes to Kelly for Barbie dolls to Kaya and Nerf Blasters to Cameron. (Andrew especially enjoyed seeing how far he could fire the Nerf balls.)
I got everything I wanted because I had added my own Wish List to Kelly and Rodney's Amazon account. But I was surprised by the air fryer that wasn't on my list.
After opening presents, we had dinner....the usual...ribs, turkey sliders, ham/cheese buns and various sides. Because of the expanded family this year (Andrew's Misti and her two children), I purchased a card table the day before and set up additional seating.
Kelly, Rodney and I waved good-bye to Andrew, Adam and their families then settled in for some conversation before bedtime. (Kelly and I finished the Irish Creme left over from Christmas 2022.)
Because the Chiefs would be playing on December 25th, Barney, Dorothy and I celebrated on Christmas Eve day. Some of us can't see to drive very well at night and some of us get sleepy not long after dark, so we held our celebration during the daylight hours.
I arrived at their home a few minutes after 11 am. Dot had fully decorated her house with items she has had for a long time as well as new things. Her holiday decorations included a small tree adorned with her Hallmark Frosty Friends ornaments. Her Frosty Friends collection spans around 30 years. The tree is new.
After unwrapping presents, we had lunch. Barney made chili and cornbread. YUM! We agreed that our new tradition is chili on Christmas Eve day. Marcee joined us via Facetime after lunch so we could unwrap the presents she had sent. Later she confessed that she had already opened all our presents to her. I went home around 4 and soon after was in my pjs, relaxing on my couch, watching Hallmark movies.
Dorothy gave me a new slide show program for Christmas. She said I could quickly make short videos with it. Ummmmm...here is the result of several days (learning curve) and overthinking on my part. Will I use it again? Yes. Will I use other programs? Yes.
I am posting a video made with the new program (SlideShow Studio) and a video made with the old program (ProShow Producer).
Holiday preparations started in early November 2022 with outside lights strung up during the weeks before Thanksgiving. (Decoration takes longer as we get older. *sigh*)
Mid-December events brought a sad end to some celebrations and sister Dot's rehabilitation changed several of our holiday plans, but we adapted by starting some new traditions.....all of which will finish by 5 p.m. or before it gets dark.
Scheduling the Kansas contingent for a December gathering was difficult, as usual, so we ended up with Late'mas in February 2023. Is this becoming a tradition??
Andrew couldn't stay in St. Joseph because of work the next day but Adam, Sarah and Riley spent the night....in the cold, downstairs bedroom. (Note to Adam for next year...blankets are in the closet)
Kelly and Rodney stayed an additional night. The next day, Rodney vacuumed carpets with the Shark cleaner he gave me for Christmas and did some odd jobs that I had requested earlier. Kelly and I didn't do anything constructive. Maybe the Irish Creme we drank the night before affected us ???
We were able to celebrate Christmas in December 2021 on the day after Christmas (Dec. 26th) 2021. Good weather and a Sunday date allowed all to attend. Unfortunately, mom-to-be-soon Sarah didn't feel well so she stayed back in Lawrence.
Snacks were available while we waited for all to arrive. Kelly and Rodney were first, coming in the afternoon so they could visit with Pudgie while in St. Joseph.
We opened presents before the meal so we could take time afterward to enjoy the ribs, turkey in gravy, ham sliders and various sides.
Adam's offer to set up Chromewatch on the living room tv turned into a hilarious debate regarding Apple iPhones vs. Android operating systems. Adam succeeded in the installation, using my iPhone, despite the number of comments regarding how easy the setup is for Android users. We then watched past Christmas videos that I had uploaded to YouTube. (All are available on this blog)
Andrew, Alee, and Adam didn't stay all night but Kelly and Rodney did. The next day, Rodney had a Mom's Day with his mother while Kelly had a Mom's Day with me.
Delaying Christmas until February has almost become traditional now that we've done it for the second time in two years. Also, by waiting, I was able to get both my Covid shots before we met.
Kelly and Rodney arrived EARLY. I wasn't finished dressing when they called to let me know they were in town. Andrew and Alee soon followed. Adam overslept and decided to come later...much later....like two weeks later.
We had snacks and a buffet meal then Rodney took over the clean-up chores before we opened presents. Later in the evening, Andrew discovered that he had eaten over half of a 12 pack of rolls when fixing his favorite chicken and gravy sandwich.
Around midnight, Andrew and Alee decided to stay all night so we played games. Rodney gave up before we started, but the rest of us stayed up until 2 am. (I was the winner.)
After Andrew and Alee left the next morning, Rodney installed the carbon monoxide detectors they'd given me for Christmas. Then he tested my old batteries and arranged new ones in a plastic tub which was another gift.
The Christmas tree downstairs remained up until Adam was able to celebrate FebMas with me. He took me to dinner at Barbosa's--I hadn't eaten there for over a year--and then we opened presents and chatted. In fact, we chatted so late that Adam decided to spend the night. (He got to sleep in the big folk's bedroom.) Our conversation continued the next day until Adam left around 4 in the afternoon.
Any day can be a holiday when celebrating with family.
With Covid concerns restricting get-togethers, we adjusted our traditional Christmas plans. Rather than attending Christmas Eve church services and opening presents afterwards, we decided to open presents after dinner on Christmas Day.
This may become a new tradition! I especially liked not driving home at night.
Although we had planned to have Christmas 2019 in January 2020, scheduling conflicts pushed the celebration into February. The downstairs tree was already decorated in red and white, so creating a Valentine's theme was easily done by adding a paper heart and white roses to the December centerpiece on the dining room table.
Kelly and Rodney arrived around 4 in the afternoon, a little earlier than I had expected. Andrew and Alee came a few hours later. We snacked on celery (Alee's choice), chips, spinach and cheese dips and creme cheese topped with jalapeno jelly while waiting for Adam and Sarah.
I asked Rodney to be the official photographer and handed over my camera. Unfortunately, I hadn't used it for a long time and couldn't remember how to set it for still photos instead of video. Not a problem though and Rodney took video until the 4 gig card was full. Then we switched to our phones and captured more video and pictures.
After we opened presents, I read the notes from Andrew, Alee and Adam about the charities they had chosen this year. Their choices were deeply personal and sparked discussion and reflection.
Supper followed presents. Meat choices were pulled pork and turkey and gravy on buns (Andrew's favorite) and hot ham sliders. (The left-over ham sliders went home with Sarah.) Side dishes included baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, and broccoli salad. During the after-dinner table conversations, Rodney cleared the table, loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen, giving me time to enjoy family. When we moved to the living room, Adam and I slipped away for a while to discuss stock investments.
The kids went back to Lawrence but Rodney and Kelly stayed all night.
The next morning, Rodney visited his mother while Kelly and I slept in. Rodney also went shopping and returned with a digital meat thermometer and a big bottle of dish detergent. I had trouble getting the ham sliders baked to the right temperature the night before so he saw that I needed a good thermometer. And, he had run out of dish soap when cleaning up. Great after-Christmas presents!
Delaying Christmas until February resulted in a relaxed holiday. We should do this again!
Planning for Andrew's wedding put the 2019 Christmas schedule into January 2020 but celebrations with Dorothy and Barney on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day continued as usual.
After Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. We avoided a long wait for seating by heading to the bar. Our timing was great because a couple in a booth were getting ready to leave and we slid in right behind them.
When I checked my restaurant gift cards, I found some from 54th Street, Frederick Inn and Olive Garden. The Olive Garden one was a gift from Andrew several years ago. (And I still have some $$ left on an iTunes card Adam gave me.)
At Barney and Dorothy's after dinner, I added my presents to the ones spread under the tree. Then Marcee joined us via Facetime and we took turns opening our gifts.
My presents included original artwork by Wanda Taylor and Lana Cease. I am collecting local artists so these pictures will be valued additions. I took some colored pencil classes with Wanda and now have purchased every colored pencil available at the St. Joseph Hobby Lobby. Lana is a friend who will probably be famous one day and, thanks to my sister and bro-in-law, I have one of her original watercolors.
Dorothy and Barney invited me to join them for dinner on Christmas Day. My favorite dish was the mac and cheese so Dot gave me the recipe: Go to the grocery store, find Stouffers in the frozen food section.
After we cleared the table and filled the dishwasher, Dot brought out her gift from Marcee, a karaoke microphone. Barney, wisely, retreated to watch tv. We sisters sang and recorded each other singing. I think we sounded better in person than we do on the videos we made. LOL
Our singing reminded me of Christmas Past when Mother and Aunt Bea, after several "highballs," harmonized on "Whispering Hope." Although I captured their voices on a tape recorder, neither the tapes nor the equipment to play them still exist.
The Holiday Week started on Christmas Eve with Dorothy, Barney and I going to Ashland Avenue church for a Christmas service and to a gathering of friends afterwards. Later, we opened presents at Barney and Dorothy's.
Several days later, thanks to Kelly's coordinating efforts, the family Christmas celebration came together on December 29. Unfortunately, Rodney had to stay in Lawrence at the last minute.
Kelly, Andrew and Alee arrived in St. Joseph around 6:30. We snacked on hot dips, chips, and crackers (Alee went for the celery) while waiting for Adam and Sarah. We went ahead and started eating around 8 o'clock.
Ribs were the featured entree with ham sliders as a second choice. Sides included potato salad, broccoli salad (for Rodney), baked beans and pasta salad (for Kelly). Left-over Thanksgiving turkey in gravy over a bun proved to be the most popular menu item. *making note for next year*
Adam and Sarah came around 9:45. The ham sliders were a little toasty on top but Sarah didn't care. Later, she and Adam volunteered to take some home.
After we finished eating, we went downstairs to open presents. Andrew and Adam passed them out and then we opened them all at once. Again this year, Andrew and Adam's gift to me was a contribution to charity. Alee and Sarah participated also. Andrew and Alee chose St. Jude; Adam and Sarah chose the Lawrence Humane Society.
I received everything I asked for. Maybe because I texted photos to Kelly from Sam's Club and Walmart of just what I wanted ???
This year's missing $$ search was conducted by Kelly. This has almost become a tradition. We finally found the missing $ in an unopened present.
On the First Day of Christmas, Dec. 22, Kelly and Rodney
arrived in St. Joseph around 5 pm. Adam, Andrew and Alee came later but
Sarah, who had to work, missed her first Christmas at Grandma DJ’s.
Around 9 pm, Andrew, Alee and Adam showed up, ready to chat and snack a while
before we ate. After dinner, we went downstairs to open gifts. $anta brought a supply of
Wild Madagascar Vanilla for Kelly and a MAGA coffee cup for Rodney. Grandma DJ got a leaf blower and a small
shop vac, both of which had been on her Christmas list. There were lots of
other presents, including the traditional books and the
traditional Rush Limbaugh ornament.
Andrew, Alee and Adam left around 1 am, but Rodney, Kelly and I visited for
a while longer. We all went to bed about an hour later because Rodney and Kelly
planned to get up early for their return to Lawrence.
On the Second Day of Christmas Dorothy and Barney came over to eat left-overs: ribs, potato salad, baked beans, pasta salad and a nice red wine from Chile.
On the Third Day of Christmas (actually Christmas Eve), Kelly and Rodney came by after bringing his mother back to St. Joseph. (She had stayed all night with them in Lawrence.) As part of my Christmas presents, Rodney replaced the hardware on my French doors. And he showed me how to use my new leaf blower.
In the evening, I met Barney and Dorothy at the Christmas Eve gathering at our friend Melinda's home. Afterwards, we went to Barney and Dorothy's to open presents.
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, Dec. 25, I went to Barney and Dorothy's for Christmas Day dinner. Dorothy prepared ham, a special green bean casserole and a macaroni and cheese dish based on the recipe Barney obtained during his Y-Fry class. After dinner, we relaxed in their new room and watched a movie on their BIG screen tv.
Holiday activities started Christmas Eve with church services, followed with a party with friends and then opening presents at Barney and Dorothy's.
Favorable weather and favorable work schedules allowed Kelly/Rodney and family to be here in St. Joseph the next evening, Dec. 25th. Adam, Andrew, Alee and Kelly drove in first and snacked on tortilla roll ups and Rotel cheese dip until Rodney arrived for the main course of "Triumph Food" ribs. No more sloppy joes for this group!
Water problems last spring caused the downstairs to be in disrepair, so Christmas activities (and decorations) were restricted to the upstairs area. However, since Adam, Andrew and Alee didn't stay all night, extra room wasn't necessary.
After dinner, we opened presents. Revealed among the flurry of wrapping paper and bows were household supplies, gift cards and a Rush Limbaugh ornament. But Best Present Ever from a Democrat Mother-in-Law who needed a Safe Space after the November election was my gift to Rodney, a "Make America Great Again" red hat.
Rodney got up early the next day and worked on the leaking toilet downstairs, which he fixed by examining the flushing mechanism and finding that it was working after all. After conversation over tea and coffee, Kelly and Rodney were off for more Christmas in Kansas.
Dorothy and Barney came over on the 26th for leftovers. No more sloppy joes for these two either!
The new living room furniture was delivered and the kitchen remodel finished the first week in December, so I rushed to put up Christmas decorations as soon as I had a place for the tree. Since I didn't have much time, I limited the decorating to the living room, dining room table and one tree downstairs, not even unpacking all the Hallmark ornaments. Nevertheless, Christmas spirit quickly filled the house.
On December 24th, I went to early church with Barney and Dorothy. Afterwards we went to a party and then came here to open presents.
Scheduling worked out favorably for a December 25th celebration with Kelly, Rodney and Adam spending the night here after presents were opened. Since Andrew and Alee had to return to Lawrence in the evening, we started the party around 4 pm with snacks set up on the new kitchen counter. Adam arrived later after an arduous trip fighting auto troubles. Tortilla roll ups and Sloppy joes provided traditional tastes but Triumph ribs proved the most popular for the second year in a row and will be on the menu again next year.
The next morning, Kelly and Rodney and I enjoyed coffee, tea and conversation in the kitchen. They left around 11:30 am. Adam slept until 3 pm.( He and I had stayed up until 3 am the night before.) Kelly commented that this had been one of the Merriest Christmases.
Plans to open presents on Dec. 25 changed on Christmas Eve day as the cold season lingered in Lawrence. The decision to delay was made shortly before noon when Kelly and I agreed to wait until all were feeling better and then we would celebrate Well'mas. Since I had frozen several food items earlier in the week and since Dorothy and Barney were coming over Christmas Day for left-overs anyway, a delay was not a disaster. Besides, we have always considered the celebration as being more important than the date.
So, a few days after New Year's, despite a weather forecast of sleet and snow threatening our plans, we were able to get together. After snacks, Sloppy Joes and Triumph ribs, we went downstairs to enjoy the renovations that had spanned over a year since the summer 2013 flooding.
Adam and Heather had to leave around 11:30 pm partly because of snow that was moving into the area but mostly because their dog Penelope was all alone in Lawrence. Then Rodney, who was still in the recovery phase of a cold, gave up on the festivities, taking an old towel and a jar of Vick's with him to bed. Not long after, the rest of us tucked in.
The next morning was sunny but cold. The snow forecast of several inches had not materialized so the return trip to Lawrence would not be difficult.
Although Christmas celebrations on Mockingbird Lane may not always be on Christmas, this year the family actually gathered on December 25 to open presents. As usual, our Christmas was not as usual. Restoration of the lower level is not yet complete so all the festivities (and trees and decorations and presents) were upstairs.
The change in venue didn't change spirits. Paper was torn and ribbons saved as we opened presents. My best gift was a shop vac from Rodney along with professional-grade accessories. Andrew's best was the last one he found under the Christmas tree after we all searched for it in the discarded wrapping paper. Adam got the worst present: a book that was the same as one that I had given him last year. Ooops! I did the same in 2012.
The revised configuration for sleeping arrangements turned out great. Andrew chose to set up the new air mattress downstairs and Adam opted to sleep on the upstairs living room couch. Both boys were handy the next morning to help Rodney move out some of his drying equipment for transport back to Kansas.
Barney and Dorothy came over on the 26th for my left-overs....crackers, dips, and the traditional sloppy joes. The next night, I went to their house for their traditional left-overs...ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, and hot rolls.
Regardless of the time or place, sharing time with family is what makes Christmas.
We celebrated Christmas here a few days after Dec. 25 because the Kansas side had full schedules and because Christmas spirit has no date limits for festivites. After dinner, and a surprise visit from Sally Ann Pippett Tietz and Aunt Dorothy, we opened presents. Conversations past midnight made early morning wake-ups the next day not so early. But, Rodney and I had time for our traditional chat while the others pulled themselves together for the trip home.
I went to Dorothy and Barney's Christmas Eve to open presents. Then went there for dinner Christmas Day. (Ham, yummy sweet potatoes, green beans, cresent rolls) In the afternoon, Dot and I visited sister Norma. The streets near her place were thick with ice. SCAREY!
This year we were able to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25. No blizzard interference so we took our time and relaxed. Andrew and Elizabeth headed back to Lawrence around 1 am. Kelly, Rodney and I stayed up until 4:30am talking and spent most of the next day in conversation while Adam and Heather slept.
