Holiday Struggle

The House Ready for Christmas

I knew going into this thing I would have a hard time capturing just how much fun I’ve been forced to endure over the past couple days.  I lay blame for this fortunate situation squarely at the feet of my family and friends who conspired to make this one of the best Christmases ever.  I worried going in that the lack of a certain couple constricted to California would rob a lot of my holiday cheer.  That concern was dealt a devastating blow by today’s ability to connect.  We shared several video calls and a series of texts which allowed us to share (if in a somewhat diluted fashion) the holiday with my daughter and Wingman.  They were still sorely missed.

Christmas Eve Dinner

My excellent boss kicked me out of work shortly before noon on Christmas Eve and I was home in time to catch the video call from California where my daughter gave a guided tour of their new apartment to my son and the ABFA.  She also took the chance to remind her brother who was the newly crowned, fantasy football super bowl champ – a theme that was repeated throughout the subsequent calls and texts from the Left Coast.  My son went into paroxysms of rage at Marshawn Lynch –again – another repeated theme. 

I'm Carving the Bird

We changed up the schedule this year by preparing a huge Christmas dinner for Christmas Eve.  We were lucky enough to have the ABFA’s parents join us and stay overnight.  They arrived in a tropical rain storm (gotta love New England weather).  The only thing white about this Christmas was the knuckles of people trying to drive.  I prepared the Christmas turkey and shared the kitchen with the ABFA who delivered a lasagna of note. 

The Two Moms

As dinner was winding down my sister and her family arrived from their Rhode Island festivities and the party was on.  Christmas carols blared while there was as serious competition in the kitchen (where else) to catch up with everybody.  I really think this is my favorite part of the entire holiday – sitting and standing around our kitchen island talking, laughing (a lot of that), and reminiscing.  Buddy and his cousin Bailey (my sister’s dog) paid rapt attention to the goings on and tried to pick off any snack that wandered to the edge of the herd.

Christmas Eve Island Time

After a while my wife and the ABFA’s parents braved the deluge to attend midnight mass while the rest of us moved to the family room to take part in another family Christmas tradition – watching the movie Love Actually.  It warmed my heart to know there was another later viewing taking place in the Golden State.  The church goers returned in time to catch the end of the movie and share some Merry Christmas hugs as midnight arrived to extinguish Christmas Eve.

The Pre-Ravaged Tree

My Early Morning Compatriots

As usual I was the first one up in the morning (damned Army habit), well me and a couple dogs (who provide great early morning company).  I like that quiet time before the house awakes to share a last interlude with a soon to be ravaged Christmas tree.  Since there are no young children in the house we get to sleep in on Christmas morn (well except for me).  So many of my earliest and fondest memories are tied to Christmas mornings and I spent some time remembering the people so important to those memories who were no longer around to share with us, primarily my mother and father.  I thought how proud they would be of their grandchildren, especially my dad who never got a chance to meet them.

Gift Giving Time

My Wife With Her Haul

The rest of the house soon awoke to the seductive smells of coffee brewing.  My brother in law successfully avoided electrocution at the hands of my wife for another year and soon the family room was filled with everyone as gifts were delivered, opened, and gushed about.  Buddy immediately went to work eviscerating the stuffed squirrel he received (yet another Christmas tradition).  My wife invested heavily in her gifts to me at overhauling my wardrobe.  This made my annual practice of putting every article of clothing I receive on at the same time a real challenge.  I managed but the group consensus was that I looked like an overweight pervert (couldn’t get the three pairs of pants I had on to close).

My Wife and I

The Christmas Pervert Wearing All His Gifts

Activities then shifted to the kitchen where yet another Christmas tradition was modified.  The ABFA volunteered to create a special omelet which was a huge success- despite the radical mixture of vegetables and spices (yours truly did not partake which will surprise nobody that knows me).  My son filled in for my daughter and excelled in the Christmas morning mimosas  That opinion as not shared with his sister who claimed later in a video call that this was yet another situation where he finished second to her (see what I mean?).

A Screen Capture of Our Video Call With Daughter and Wingman (upper right corner)

My wife prepared the fried dough as she learned from my mother.  I got a little misty eyed towards the end of the brunch as people started making noises about leaving for their other family holiday obligations.  I felt truly blessed I was able to keep them all for as long as I did.

First the ABFA’s parents, then my son and the ABFA and finally my nephew all departed on a bright, sunny, totally non-New England type of Christmas Day.  That left my wife, sister, and brother in law to clean up and share the rest of the day.  We remarked about how quiet the day was after all the departures and how our Christmas had evolved this year.  As long as I can keep having as much fun as I did I’m all in.  I think Christmas Eve will take on added importance in future years which is completely awesome in my view – anything for extending the period I can sip at the pool of holiday cheer. 

ABFA With Her Omelet and Son Creating Mimosas

Christmas Brunch

And Again With Me

We spent a quiet afternoon while I introduced them to the fun that is The Guardians of the Galaxy.  I spent most of the movie conducting visual inspections  of the inside of my eyelids before venturing into the kitchen to prepare my second turkey dinner in as many days.  In deference to my sister’s allergies this one was prepared gluten free and we combined leftovers from the Christmas Eve dinner with some new additions.  This included my sister’s signature jello mold which I seriously believe my wife would kill to get more of.  We enjoyed each other’s company and I felt so much gratitude for their presence which helped immensely with the California subtractions to the day.

At Least My Daughter Had Some Dogs Around Her
We'll Cure Her of that Cat Addiction Some Day

Buddy Completing His Christmas Evisceration

We were all awaiting the final event of the day which was the arrival of the far travelling Keene Friend.  He has Christmas day obligations spread out over the breath of New England but he always ends the day at our house.  We had a big surprise waiting for him.  My son came up with the idea to combine all the funds we normally expend for gifts for him into a pool and buy him a large HD television. He loves to watch sports and I think he was genuinely moved by the gift.  We’re all headed to his house tonight for the annual day after Christmas party where my son will help him set up his new gift. 

Keene Friend Opening His Big Gift

We were fortunate to share Christmas with yet another locale when my college roommate called in from Pittsburgh for an extended call.  My sister and brother in law reluctantly had to leave since he is working today but we parted knowing we had accomplished something special this year.  I owe them so much.  I stated when I started writing today that I would struggle to fully capture how extraordinary the past couple of days were with my paltry abilities.  I hope everyone reading this was as blessed as I was with the time and people surrounding you.  If I’d had two more people around I could honestly claim it was perfect.