Christmas Eve

No photos. No excuses. Great synopsis.

Phil's brother, Dan, and wife, Krissy, always host a wonderful relaxed-yet-delicious-Christmas Eve dinner fest. This year was fantastic. Krissy made a delicious ham, prime rib, potatoes, broccoli dish (that Phil would sell me for), layered salad . . . and more but I am already salivating so I'll move on.

Krissy has a really humble and serving way about her. She makes me feel so welcome and so comfortable (I mean every time we stay one of the kids wets the bed and she has never made me feel the teeniest bit horrible). We hors d'oeurved, dined, and then some us (me and the boys) napped. Then Bryce and I joined the living and the gift-opening began! The McMurrays do things differently than the Pocklingtons. I grew up opening only one gift on Christmas Eve (and thankfully Mom would guide the choosing so that we neither opened the big gift nor the dinky socks-like-gift).

The McMurrays peel out of the tracks and fully traverse all before them. We got so much great stuff. Phil surprised me by breaking our pact and giving me some lovely earrings to suit my birthday necklace; and a beautiful necklace. He was later to learn that I'd kept our pact and bought him three cheapy items--one of which I can't even recall--better him than me!

After emerging from the cloud of wrappings and strewn toys (read nerf bullets), some of us sausaged ourselves into pants that fit before "fudge season", and then all of us joyfully set off for the Dezember's church for the Chrsitmas Eve service, and more: Ian's baptism.

We had a lovely time, and I loved belting out those hymns (so fun when you're a bad but enthusiastic singer to be able to sing amongst many). The highlight was--for the boys--the candles. (I don't remember what they symbolized--unity in Christ, Christ as the light of the world.) I had at first eschewed the candles, but Phil took two, and so Bryce and Deacon each ended up with a mesmerizing flame.

Charming Christmas Eve! Also, I ate my weight in fudge, magic bars, and peanut-butter-balls.