Xmas Redux

We hosted our annual Xmas Eve Tamale buffet and invited a few of our dear friends over.

There was much celebrating, toasting, eating and laughing.  Our home was warm with friendships and it felt really good to be reminded of the people in our lives that love and surround us throughout the year.

We always spend xmas morning just Steve, Grady and myself.  We keep our pajamas on all day, open gifts, drink lots of early morning coffee...followed by mid-morning sparkling wine and we feast on leftovers for lunch.  Throwing in a nap and perhaps a movie along the way.  Oh, and the Scrabble game that I lose year after year.

G received his very own Hunter boots from Grandma Jan and was spoiled by so very many people this holiday season.

However, his favorite acquisition was a black pair of fingerless gloves that he stated will last him the rest of his life.   He kept these on for about 48 hours straight, only removing them to take a much needed shower.  Then they went right back on his little fingers.

Steve received this lovely tie courtesy of the school holiday bazaar.  Grady and I thought it was definitely in his color family of Hecht Green and, as you can see above, he seems real excited by it.

I could never quite capture a nice picture of my tree this season and so this will have to do.  Lots of new ornaments were added this year and I took great pleasure in this little funky little aluminum tree that warmed a corner in my living room over the last month, along with the colorful paper chains and homemade advent calendar.

Sweet Molly.  She's been with us for six months and we are so happy she's part of our family.  Santa did not forget her and she received a new leash, so that I could take all 65 pounds of her on a walk and not get leash burn on my hand.  She also received a ball from Grady that he purchased from the school holiday bazaar.  She seemed right at home with us.

We decided to make each other gifts for xmas.  Grady asked his father to draw him a picture of a green parrot and BOY did he!  I didn't see it until xmas morning and it was beautiful.  Grady was so sweet and clear with his request for a xmas present and the fact that he just wanted a drawing from each of us (um, my assignment was to draw a dog and apparently I forgot to draw a nose, so there was some concern about his ability to breathe) really made my heart swell.  He wants to frame it and so do I.  I now see where my kids artistic ability comes from.

This was the best gift of the season.  Grady designed this wooden garden bird for me.  With the help of his father, he used a bandsaw and cut it out and then painted it.  He found a stick for the base and gave it to me for xmas.  It's a bird for my garden.  I absolutely love it. He was so happy to give this season and it was really magical to see it all through his eyes, too.