ben's mother and sister, along with my girlfriend, sarah, came out to spend christmas eve with us. we started early in hopes of keeping a somewhat normal schedule with naps, and so the girls were not on the roads after dark. and of course this time of year, that means heading out before 3 pm. i know we are now gaining light, but so far, i haven't noticed. the sun still goes night-night before 4 and for me, that's like 4 hours too soon.
ben prepared some pretty tender steaks while i buttered the lobster tails. we enjoyed chipotle-seasoned sweet potato fries, green salad and fresh garlic bread. sarah brought a delicious pumpkin roll that has since been devoured in its entirety. mmm!
quickly after dinner (at jackie's request) we opened presents. this year especially, i felt no need for gifts. in the past, there had been that desire for maybe a nordstrom gift card or even a certificate for a massage. but now, all i care about is the look on my son's face - and i'm looking forward to next year, seeing dylan rip into some presents too. i will say the only thing i continue to wish for or buy for myself is ornaments. looking at our collection, i can practically remember each year we received them (and i have most of the ones from my childhood as well). such special memories in such a small package. the kids were truly blessed with so many nice gifts. i know jack gets excited about new toys, but i look forward to new books. jb and dilly received some CUTE books from papa frank & nana sue, aunt jeanette & uncle bill, sarah and gramma d & mark. we read so many books every day that getting new ones is a treat for ben and i too. thank you, dear ones!
after we tucked the kids in for bed, ben started piecing together jack and dylan's new kitchen. the box had several dozen wooden parts and a bazillion screws, dowles and dohickies. it took close to 3 hours to put together. i wish i could say i helped, but i didn't. something like that is better to be done alone or you'll likely end up with upside-down cupboards.
dylan's first present-opening experience
mmm, tasty.
sock monkey!
