Christmas Eve was a spectacular success, once again.
The morning began with Jay getting up early to plow the driveway out as we had gotten even more snow overnight.
Better than the snow was that Megan and Tyler had gotten in on time. Jay and I picked them up from the airport in the 'storm'. It seems silly to call it that when it was only flurries. We only got an inch or two so it was nothing to freak out over.
When he was done plowing, Jay went shopping. He loves to shop on Christmas Eve. He came home, we wrapped and I started the gumbo. Jay did ten lbs of chicken wings and I did a big (BIG) pot of gumbo, which I let simmer all afternoon.
We went to the children's Mass at Annunciation at 4, and were home getting ready for the party by 5:15.
The party was small this year as the rowdy bros (Tim and Tom) were over at their in laws this year. But Matt and Janelle brought the twins and Ben and Lauren brought their baby girl so we were more kid heavy than we have been in years.
We opened the porch in the afternoon and turned on the space heater so that by the time folks started to arrive it was nice and warm out there. Eventually, as the house packed full of partiers and especially when the dancing started, someone opened a window on the porch and it became a great room in which to cool down.
Everyone brought food and drink and we all ate and ate and ate and ate. Eventually we realized there actually was more food than we could finish so we gave up trying.
Then we played the game. Everyone brought gifts and they were all on the dining room table and this year we actually all fit in the living room so that was different. Once everyone had a gift and we began opening them, we could all see who had what. I was surprised by the quality of the presents this year; a signed Vikings souvenir helmet, the Glee Christmas Album, a steak dinner for two, an iPod shuffle, an authentic Twins jersey, several hat and mitten sets that the girls all coveted and one fedora that everyone eventually had to try on. We all looked good in it.
When the game was over we all settled down to eating Christmas cookies and drinking wine.
Mr. Curry brought us a bottle from Chateau Montalena, the vineyard the movie "Bottle Shock" is about. He and Jay and I ran off to a secluded corner to drink it. It was fabulous.
Sophie kicked the party into high gear around 9:30 when she found Katie's iPod, popped it in the boze deck and cranked up some Lady Gaga.
Once the dancing started it was hard not to get pulled into the vortex it created. No one really put up a fight.
I can't figure out how to change the size of these pictures. Someone much younger than I am will have to help me out with this.
The crowd finally dispersed around 11:00 or so, but there was still alot to be done. Some of the kids went and watched "Inception", which Zack had brought over. I had Santa business to attend to and Jay, Ty and Megan were in the living room.
Jay and I finally fell into bed around 1:30, with the soundtrack of Inception still booming in our ears. It didn't keep me awake. I was too tired, to full of food and too many visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.
Christmas was off to a flying start.
