We celebrated Christmas eve with my side of the family as usual. My parents and sister and uncle came to our place for a few hours to exchange gifts and then we all went to my mom's brother's house in Brooklyn Center for the real celebration. At my uncle/aunt's house, we got to meet the two new baby second cousins -- baby Danielle is 3 weeks old and baby Ben is 12 days old. (You will see a photo below of the four Boyces -- we hadn't taken a family photo in probably 5-6 years because I am sure it was before I was pregnant with Connell.)
For Christmas Day, we got up at 6 am as usual and found the gift that Santa brought each of the boys (Santa typed the to/from tag this year since a little boy named Connell has been rather suspicious of Santa and we were afraid that he might catch on to either of our handwriting.) Connell was impressed that Santa knew their middle initials to put on the tag!!! We think we made it through another year with him still believing.
After taking a photo with mom and then dad by the tree, we were off to 8 am Mass where we spent our first time ever as a family (with no nursery). We truly do appreciate the church nursery for regular Sunday Mass -- that's all I can say and Ray would agree!
We came home and the boys played with some of their new toys while I made dinner. I threw together some soy sauce, orange juice, ginger, honey and garlic to marinade some pork chops. I had some cornbread stuffing in the freezer that we warmed up and I did a package of asparagus with some butter sauce. It turned out very well (can I admit to all of you that I totally forgot about Christmas dinner and so this morning I was scrambling trying to think of something to make and playing the game of...let's see what I have in the house and can throw together to look like a planned dinner). Life is so hectic with these two boys for some reason. We did commit a few years ago to saving Christmas Day for the four of us and we have talked that in a few years we would like to volunteer as a family at a soup kitchen or special dinner for the homeless. Right now the boys are simply too young.
Oh, and I can't go on without mentioning that since Connell got the game Mancala from the Boyces for Christmas, that he and I are Mancala fools now. Neither of us had never played and yet we are totally addicted. I like it better than some of the games that he suggests, so we'll see if we continue to play it in the coming days.
Ray has to go back to work tomorrow -- Friday.
1 comment:
Hi Clare, I just want to wish you a happy new year. I love looking to your pictures in your blog. Your parent and your sister, it was a long time ago I didn`t see them. I remember them perfectly. And your children, they are lovely. I hardly find time to read your blog, I don´t know how you find time to write in it. Please, write me some letters when you be able to do. KISSES.
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