Our Party of Five Christmas

After an action-packed November, Thanksgiving, and all of the various holiday events surrounding school and social lives, we have fully relished a quiet Christmas with our nuclear family. As Tim and I discussed over one of our leisurely dinners of late, such a holiday is quite rare for us, which is probably why we were able to enjoy it so much. I don’t think any of us would choose it year after year, but as a nice pause in the usual action? Yes.

We stayed with tradition, with evening mass (Tim sang again), our usual dinner of fried shrimp and twice-baked potatoes, and the rituals of stockings and placing Baby Jesus in the manger.

Christmas Day itself was gloriously lazy, with everyone fully enjoying their gifts (ok, Danny’s soccer equipment made for a less-lazy day for him!). The photo I snuck of Laura reading one of her new books might be my favorite image from the day.

Christmas comes with so much anticipation, and we are blessed that it never fails us. A “thrill of hope” indeed.