Holly's Notes and Condition

Remembering a Good Christmas Spent with My Family

December 24th, 2009, Christmas Eve - our family celebrated Christmas together at our house. Our kids: our son, Jeremy and his girlfriend, Nabaht, our son Justin and his girlfriend, Melissa, our son, Brent and his wife Adriana and their 5 1/2 month old baby girl, Millie - our precious first grandbaby joined Dave and I at our home for the evening.

As they all have multiple family and friends that they try to get together with on Christmas, I was delighted that we managed to get all of them together to celebrate with us on Christmas Eve.

I decided on a little bit of 'new' tradition as far as the Christmas eve dinner menu - it was so pleasant outside, that Dave was able to grill up orange glazed salmon steaks on cedar planks and there were plenty of veggies, and yes, I still made old fashioned candied yams - but I sent home leftovers and I only made enough, really for that purpose. Everyone enjoyed the food, but we didn't feel like we overdid it.
There was eggnog and hot coffee and hot tea and I had baked a fresh batch of my Mom's recipe for orange spice drop cookies, a family favorite, which we enjoyed for dessert.

Jeremy gave the family blessing, as he held his niece Millie on his lap, her little fingers wrapped around his finger.

As all of Nabaht's family are together this year, in this country, including her Grandma, they celebrated dinner together a little earlier and then Nabaht joined us after dinner.

We had our gift exchange. (Adriana had set up the family 'Secret Santa' gift exchange on the internet site, 'Elfster', which was fun.)
It was wonderfully fun just to watch Millie taking it all in, opening her presents, watching the family - enjoying her very first Christmas.

It was just delightful to enjoy everyone's company and it was wonderful to have Millie with us this year. She can sit up on her own, for a pretty long time before she just tips over ,still smiling, as she reaches for her feet. She's able to reach and grab things really well, like my hair, for instance - what a grip that little baby has!
She coos and smiles and especially for her Mom and Dad: she all out giggles.
She is a happy and healthy, and very loved baby.
She fills my heart with such joy and love - just to see, hold and kiss her.

The kids stayed and we spent the whole evening together - really nice, just having their company, all relaxed and together - just wonderful.

Jeremy and Nabaht left a little before midnight, so that Jeremy could take part in midnight mass services at nearby St Michael's Abbey, as he has done for the last several years. Nabaht had driven up to the house in her own car, so she was heading back down to Irvine where they live, to be with her family, including her Grandma.

Jeremy makes his 'rounds' on Christmas: he visits with the priests at St Michael's Abbey, Rabbi Harry and his wife Ruth, and last but not least, the Lopez Family in Santa Ana (his childhood friends).

We all kissed and hugged each other and wished each other a 'Merry Christmas' and a 'Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year'. Lots of love.

Just after 1 am on Christmas Day, Dec 25th, we finally called it a night.
So, really we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our family.

Justin and Melissa left to head back down to their apartment in Irvine. They will spend Christmas Day with Melissa's parents and grandparents, who live with Melissa's parents in nearby Santa Ana.

Brent and Adriana just have a 5 minute drive down the hill from our house to their apartment in Lake Forest. They will attend church on Christmas Day in Santa Ana and then spend Christmas Day at Adriana's brother Danny's house in nearby Orange with her Grandma and Aunt Elsa and Uncle Eddie and her parents, Maria and Rigo and then the next day they all travel to Phoenix, Arizona to celebrate with more of her extended family at her brother Fernando and sister-in-law Adriana's home. They are especially excited to have Millie be able to celebrate with her little cousins: Bella, Valeria and Victoria.
They will have (4) adorable little girls adding to the joy of Christmas this year.
Millie travels well, so that is a kindness for all of them.

Millie was wonderful all night and adorable in her little red and white 'elf's suit'.
She continues to be breast fed and she also drinks breast milk from a bottle.
She eats now about every 4 hours. She took a little power nap at about 10 pm for about 25 minutes and then she was wide awake, all the time that they were there, including as we put her into her car seat, in her parents' car at 1 am, and kissed her and wished her, 'Merry First Christmas, Millie!'

She loved looking at all the Christmas lights, especially the Big Red Santa decoration in the backyard and the dancing multicolored lights on the garage, that go on and off and strobe,'dancing' in sync with the softly playing Christmas music: a very clever and fun addition that Dave made this year for us.(Thank you, Dave: I thoroughly enjoyed the lights and music - it was a wonderful gift.)

We took a wonderful family portrait of all of us together: I had the honor of holding Millie, as she sat squirming and stetching on my lap, tightly holding the Christmas gift from her 'Great Bamma',(my Mama) - a handmade soft stuffed pastel fabric lion that Mama had made for her - which she gripped tightly from the moment she opened the wrapping, which by the way, she did pretty much by herself.(Millie could tear tissue paper wrapping really well, the trick was to get it away from her before it made its way to her mouth - she's pretty quick and strong.)

I feel very grateful and very blessed.

'Merry Christmas and Blessings of Love and Peace in the New Year!'

posted by Holly @ 10:12 AM