Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house …….that’s as far I as got.
Posts between now and the New Year may be a little sparse but of course there will be the annual 3 Words and a Song post AND the new January Comments for a Cause post coming up!!! So stay tuned for those!
Our holiday has been wonderful. Time with our sons is always the perfect gift and the bonus this year is actually spending a whole week at Aaron’s place together. He is the perfect host, we have eaten well, slept well and played together well which is always a good thing. I have missed being with the rest of the family but look forward to warmer months when the travel logistics to places of snow are much easier.
Every family has different traditions when it comes to celebrating the holidays and ours is no different. In my family growing up stockings were a BIG deal. Years ago Chris got me a different stocking because my original from when I was growing up was long and skinny and nothing fit in it. For years I had a “stocking annex” because stuff just did not fit. I have carried the “stocking is a big deal” tradition over to my own boys and they humor me when it comes to the stockings.
Aaron asked me why his stocking has lace on it. I have no idea. I imagine it sounded good at the time in 1988 when I made it. (Toothbrushes are ALWAYS a stocking staple and now with fancy toothbrushes toothbrush replacement heads are included.)
We take the laid back approach to opening gifts these days. The pile is smaller and maybe not too exciting but it works.
I did have an epic fail this year in the gift category. Micah needed a lamp and I found the perfect one. Obviously I did not read the description well enough and when said package arrived at Aaron’s house it was in a box 7 feet tall. Sigh. What was I thinking? How is he going to get that back to NYC? The answer? Aaron is getting a new lamp.
I think I made up for it with Micah’s favorite gift below. Or so he says. A very cute bulldog mug.
I outdid myself with the meal this year. A lovely ham, the mandatory green bean casserole, bread, salad and a fabulous roasted cauliflower and cranberry dish that is going to become a regular addition. 
Post meal found everyone in a state of various relaxation poses. Micah with his ever present video gaming, Aaron with his napping like a cat in the sunshine and Chris—reading on his new iPad mini with headphones in listening to podcasts.
All in all a great day to spend with the ones I love. Hopefully your day was a good one in every way. Looking forward to 2014 and all that it has to offer and to meeting more of my bloggy friends in person.
Can you believe I got them to post for a picture in their Christmas jammies? They really do love me.
31 Comments
Leave a commentI didn’t even notice you all had on your PJ’s when I first saw this picture, then read the blog.I think you all look great, the smiles are what I saw!! Love reading your blog. Wishing you all a healthful and wonderful 2014. Love Arron’s cat napping, wish it would have been quite enough here to do that!! We started out with 7 plus Darrel and I , one left and 7 more came, then 5 left and 2 came, then those 2 left and around 6:30 Leslie and family headed home. Then it was tea and cookie time. Family gatherings are the best. And I thank the Lord for them and for friends new and old!! God’s love to you and yours. Jeanne
Thanks so much, Jeanne. That was a sweet comment and I love how busy your house was. We are still a quiet house with just the “boys” but that will pass someday. I hated not being with my mom but it just was not to be this year. I called her and she had a quiet day but will be going to Paula’s tomorrow for a few days with them. We are all so blessed. Thanks again and hope 2014 is good to you.
I love these snapshots of your Christmas. Just being all together is the BEST Christmas gift, isn’t it?
Exactly!!!! You know it!
Great post! Nice family pics. Love the stockinh idea, the seven foot tall lamp (its really nicr) – and that plate of food looked delicious. Happy holidays!
The lamp is hysterically large. I have no clue what I was thinking. No–I do know! Micah said he needed a lamp and I went into Mama mode to provide for him. 🙂 Happy holidays to you, too!
Lol. Definitely a conversation piece. Thank you!
🙂
How fun! Sweet post.. 🙂 I love to sleep in the afternoon on the 4 seasons porch with a bit of sun and Coffee House on Sirius. Hmmm, I think I will look forward to that today cause we FINALLY have SUN! Your green bean casserole looks just right.. 😀
The green bean casserole was perfect! As was the cauliflower. Yummmm. Leftover time.
Looks like a terrific day! Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. I really appreciate it!
I love the picture of all of you together in your PJs. What a happy, contented family you have. The cauliflower casserole looks fabulous. Any chance of getting the recipe?
I enjoyed the pictures so I could see all you on the day after Christmas. My meal looked nothing like yours but Saturday we will have our Christmas for the Ohio family. I am looking forward to being with them,
I love looking in on other people’s celebrations! Pics of our celebrations here are non-existent as we just enjoyed some quiet time & I spent some time on C4C Christmas Eve & Christmas Day where I met some fabulous new bloggers!
Stockings are a huge deal for us, too – and we have Stocking Annexes as well – and even call them that! We are kindred spirits, Bethann!!
That lamp made me laugh. It’s as tall as a tree-really beautiful but impossible to take on a plane:) Dinner looks great and that bulldog mug is quite a find.
The lamp is ridiculously big. I suspect it may end up on Craigslist but that is fine. The meal was perfect and I found a yummy new cauliflower recipe. :-). Hope your holidays have been great!
Aw, Beth Ann, I almost felt like a fly on the wall, peering over your Christmas festivities! Thanks for letting us share. Our Christmas, too, was rather laid back and low-key. Sometimes that’s a good thing! But I’ll bet that sunshine felt GOOD!
It has been perfect. Today we cleaned the townhouse which was much needed after we have all flopped here! I didn’t document that. 🙂
They really do love you! What a wonderful holiday recap….The lamp was too funny. I would have challenged him to take it home :-D. I love napping on a cold day in the sun–If I can beat my furs to the spot. Bullies are cute! I keep on that is a favorite camper.
Carry on and be Merry! As I know you will! (Odd is being naughty–on the way to nice I hope)
So glad you are having a great time! I love that you guys got together and spent this time together. I always feel it’s the best time when it’s just the 5 of us hanging out, relaxing together and laughing!!! This year was the first year I didn’t put any toothbrushes in the stockings – the kids all got new water bottles instead! 🙂
The ham. I am riveted to it. It looks delicious!
Carol
http://www.carolcassara.com
Merry Christmas Beth Ann! Keep enjoying your time with your family!
Thanks, Val. We are loving our time together. Oldest son leaves today to go back to NYC so I will be sad for a bit.
Sounds like all of you are having a great time! That’s awesome. I love the bulldog mug! Love it! Happy holidays from my family to yours!
The bulldog mug is awesome. I got Aaron a Corgi mug—he loves them . both boys want us to get a bulldog and corgi and raise them for them…….don’t think it will happen.
Sounds like a perfect Christmas, having everyone together is always a mama’s dream. Love your Christmas picture all cozy in your jammies!
I love the jammies!!
And I think that is the right idea there — finding a nice sunny spot and taking a nap! I could definitely do that after all the excitement of my 3 kids. they have finally stopped bouncing off the walls today. but, it is such a joy too.
Glad you had a wonderful Christmas. Will we be seeing that cauliflower recipe? because that looks amazing!
I think I need to share that recipe—I also just made a fabulous honey lime chicken enchilada recipe that was yummy. I need to do those—stay tuned!
[…] me also remind you of the huge Christmas fail when I purchased the seven foot lamp for my son to take back on the airplane to…(you can read about it if you click on the link above but the picture pretty much sums it up). The […]