For the first time since I have known my husband we spent the Christmas holiday with just our little family.  And, I may go on record saying it was the best one we've ever had! We spend Christmas Eve cooking enough risotto, sweet potatoes, home made ravioli and pasta sauce and pumpkin pie to last for 2 days.  I bought a 1/2 rack of lamb (8 chops), and we decided to make 1/2 on Christmas eve and 1/2 on Christmas day since it was just the two of us having the lamb.  Christmas Eve we had Lamb Chops with Balsamic reduction, which was truly amazing, and Christmas day we had herbed lamb chops that were also very good (that was husband's choice and I don't have the recipe link).  

Christmas day the kids were up at 5:30.  Yes, FIVE THIRTY!!!  We had to actually put a show on to make them wait until we felt like getting up since we had been up building things, watching the Sound of Music (my FAVORITE!!), and drinking a lovely Barolo that Santa delivered early.  Anyway, we fought them off until about 6:45 and Christmas began.  The baby woke up a bit later with a fever, but it wasn't anything a little motrin couldn't fix.  We opened stockings, ate Christmas pop-overs and then opened gifts.

Since all that was over relatively quick and we didn't have any real plans for the day, we just sat around.  The kids played with their new toys, my husband built his new fire pit, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, and I read a book.  I didn't change out of my pajamas until noon, which is unheard of for me.  We snacked on fruit and left-overs and called family.  We fed the kids their dinner, put them to bed and then made the rest of our lamb chops.  We ate a nice dinner in peace and quiet and marveled at what a nice two days we had.  It was the most gloriously stress-free, relaxing day we've had as a family for a long time, maybe ever!  If you've never spent a holiday with just your immediate family, I highly recommend it.

Of course, we missed our family, but we have never had a holiday to just ourselves and we really enjoyed it.  The day after Christmas we headed to California on a plane, but that's a story for next time.  

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The last time I decorated the house for Christmas was 2 years ago.  I was about 6 1/2 months pregnant and it took several days to do it all because I was so tired.  It took even longer to finally take it all down because I was even more tired and working.  I like to start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving so I can enjoy all the Christmas cheer for as long as possible, but we are a week behind.

Yesterday we bought the tree, and we were too tired when we got home so we left it outside.  This morning the weather said it was going to rain, the kids were up early and the baby is sick so we didn't go to church, so we got started early.  We brought the tree in, set it up and then prepared to cut off the twine wrapping.  And like every year, I get nervous and envision a huge swooshing of the bottom limbs as they crash through the windows Clark W. Griswold-style.  We cut our tree down at a farm, and those trees always look smaller than they really are.  Thankfully we escaped any broken glass.  To my knowledge I didn't notice any squirrels . . .

After putting the kids away (Cars 2 is a great babysitter . . .) we tried to begin decorating.  We pulled in boxes, started putting lights on the tree and getting organized. But, of course the baby is sick, so I headed to the pharmacy for a medicine refill, picked up lunch in the pouring rain and returned.  The kids were hungry, the baby needed breathing treatments, and then the kids wanted to help.  Which is great, except they start rummaging through all the boxes as though they were starving racoons.  So, the husband, because of his height, continued putting on lights and I attempted to put up a few other decorations.  

By then, Cars 2 was over, I couldn't send the kids outside on account of the rain, and everyone started fighting.  Several shatterproof ornaments were broken by the little people in an attempt to help, and dear Husband could hardly function due to a rather exciting Texans game on TV.  So, I put up a few ornaments, but obviously made a better door than window in front of the TV.  So, I gave up.  I closed all the blinds so I can enjoy the sparkle of the tree lights while less able to see the surrounding mess, grabbed a beer and sat down to surrender to the football game.  I looked at the clock and realized it was only 2:30, and that is a bit early to be drinking, but I honestly feel like I have been up for 15 hours so a beer seems appropriate.  Plus, I'm going to start a short cleanse/detox on Wednesday, so I better enjoy my beer while I can.

So, the house is a mess and is semi-decorated.  I can only do so much.  The force of 3 kids and one zoned-out, football-watching husband is just too much.  I'll have to wait until they are all gone to complete the transformation of the house to pure Christmas joy.  Until then I will enjoy my beer, football and breathing treatment administration in an air-conditioned house because it's too hot outside and all I want is for it to feel like winter.  What other choice do I really have?  Hopefully some kind of order will be achieved in the next couple days.  I'll keep you posted.