Christmas traditions

Well, it was definitely a wonderful Christmas. We were thoroughly spoiled by all our families. Hunter really enjoyed being with all his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and getting a chance to try his first turkey dinner!!! One of my fave gifts is a hand food grinder, so I don't need to get the whole blender dirty when I mush up Hunter's food - thanks Mom and Dad.

So, the Christmas traditions in this deVries house consist of the service on Christmas Eve with Justin's family, then gift-opening at their house, then we head to bed (this year, in our own house!!) and in the morning open stockings and go to mass with my family then open gifts at their house. It's a busy time, but it's wonderful. Justin and my performance in the Christmas Eve service went well. All the lines got memorized and we even added in a little twist here and there to bug our wonderful family at the church. It was fun. Then, gift opening at the deVries' was terrific.

We, and Hunter, had a lovely time (mmm taco dip) and it was wonderful to see everyone. However, there was one person (well, three) missing. My sister-in-law, Beka and the two new babies Kristien and Noah. Beka and Phill and the girls spent the last three months in Africa, as I posted about before, trying to spend some time with their new daughter, Kristien, so that they could bring her home for Christmas. Well, while they were there, they fell in love with a little boy in need of a family, as well, Noah. So, two new babies! However, they only ran into problems with the adoption process in Sierra Leone and now the family has agreed to spend some time on difrerent continents in order to be together. Beka is still in Sierra Leone with the babies and will be there for another three months. Phill will be returning to S L in March, to be there for the final processes and to bring the girls and boy home. This has been an incredible adventure for the whole familiy, but especially for P, B, A, M, J, K and N (whew!). If you are a person that prays, please pray for their family over the next while. Thanks!

Okay, then, Christmas morning at the Hunter house. What a terrific brekkie we had! My Mom had a delicious meal prepared for us when we got there. Thanks, Mom. We opened gifts and stockings, then headed to church at Holy Family. 20 years ago, my sister, at two days old, was the baby Jesus at this church! Cool, eh? There was another baby there that was only 13 days old! It was incredible to see this little boy and to think that Hunter was, at birth, smaller than this little guy. He seems so big now, it's amazing that he was ever that small!

Since Justin and I have known that we would get married, we have had a list of things that we were going to do in our life together. One of the things on the list was: when we have a house, host Christmas dinner for both families. So, why not this year?? That's what we did. I prepared the turkey and the Moms did pretty much everything else. We were lucky to have my whole family there and then J's parents, Phill and the nieces. What a crew! We enjoyed a marvelous dinner, good company and chocolate fondue froma fountain!!! Justin and I forgot to buy fruit and it still was terrific with the fruit from our homes and my aunt's house (which we scrounged, thanks Maureen).

All in all a wonderful Christmas spent with loving family. Thank you all and God Bless!