Happy Christmas Eve!

We all have our cherished holiday traditions and for us the Eve is spent with my in-laws.

Back in the day, there would be twenty plus adults and kids, lots of noisy, wonderful chaos and tons of food. My father-in-law dressed up as Santa and handed out gifts. The party would go late into the night and then we'd go home and still have things to do to prepare for Christmas morning. It was not unusual for hubby and I to get only a couple hours of sleep before the festivities with my family started up bright and early on Christmas day.

Things are different now, in very wonderful ways, and I'm as excited as ever to get the holiday goodness started. Hubby, daughter, daughter's sig other and myself will arrive at Grandma and Grandpa's in the late afternoon. The house will be filled with the delicious aromas of ham and baked beans. Christmas music will be playing softly in the background. After lots of hugs and kisses (even though we get together very regularly and my mother-in-law and I are on the phone constantly), we will grab a beverage and go settle in the living room. We stopped exchanging presents a few years ago, and instead, we donate to our favorite local charities. We will tell silly stories, laugh a lot, eat until we're uncomfortable and then return to the living room, turn off the lights and enjoy the beauty of the Christmas tree. During this quiet time, we will share memories of loved ones who are no longer with us and talk about what we're grateful for. Inevitably, the conversation will mutate to raucous re-visitations of life's ups and downs, "secrets" being divulged and general hilarity!

I wish a very Merry Christmas to everyone!

Tessie

http://www.tessiebradford.com/