Christmas 2013

Christmas was wonderful.

The day was spent moving from house to house and eating.

We started by joining my little chickadee at her home for what has become our traditional Christmas morning breakfast.  It's such a delight to share that time with them and I continue to count my blessings that they still include us in their morning.

From there, we stop in briefly to visit my good friend, LC -- my other daughter's mother.  This year, she is recovering from surgery so she was a bit of a captive audience, of sorts.  Her daughter (MOD) was there from Toronto tending to her mother so I got to see both this year, which was a nice bonus.

Then it was off to my step-son's place for lunch.  He would have been otherwise alone for Christmas so we took lunch to him.  We had a lovely visit while lunch cooked (chicken gumbo and rice) and we followed it up with tea and dessert.

I ate lightly at both breakfast and lunch because, unlike previous years on Christmas Day when we usually came home and had "beans and weiners" for dinner, this year we went to join my best friend sister and her husband at their table.  My brother-in-law has spent the past several Christmases in hospital and since he would be home this year, my sister was delighted to be able to make a proper dinner.  She was extra delighted to have us join them.  We had a fabulous visit.

Some twelve hours after we had left home that morning, we finally arrived back at our door.

It had been a very long, but fun day.

On Saturday, the 28th, we had our blended family Christmas.

That's the day we all get together (although this year we were missing step-daughter and her family since they were down in Arizona for the holidays) for Christmas brunch.  I no longer do the full-out dinner deal -- too stressful.  So I just do brunch-style eating.  No fuss, no muss. (Well almost, no fuss, no muss.)  I find it much easier than trying to put on a sit-down meal for a large group.

We open gifts, which are handed out by Santa. This year, #2 step-son had the honours (that's him wearing the requisite red hat).

There are always so many interesting gifts passed around.  

And of course, we have to take the group photo.  Nutbar #1 step-son insisted that we take one with everyone in the following pose.

We're thinking we might make it a Fowler tradition.  Perhaps next year, everyone will participate properly.