One catch about having Christmas in a college boys' apt was that they didn't have a Christmas tree, of course, and we couldn't have Christmas without a tree! We were thinking of maybe just buying some leftover ratty one from somewhere in town right before Christmas, but then my parents went to a wedding reception that was decorated with flocked trees in Panaca, and voila!, we had ourselves a tree. They trucked it over here and I put the decorations from my tree on it (we had to take our tree down several days before Christmas because it was in the living room with our stove and was literally the deadest, most dangerous Christmas tree I've ever seen!). Everyone loaded their presents underneath it, and in less than an hour Doug's plain-old apartment was ready for the holidays!
Sunday afternoon we all had dinner together and then the boys all rebelled and went to National Treasure 2 (which I found more than a little annoying, since I'd been dying to see it--I loved the first one!). So while they were gone we decided to let the kids open their first present--they had dozens coming, so why not? My mom had bought them each a Magna Doodle, so we gave them all those, and it was a good way to pass the evening.
On Christmas Eve my mom's parents and my Aunt Barb's family all came to join us (yes, in the tiny apartment) for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and it was very nice. Then that evening Camille and I put together a very brief version of the nativity with the kids, and it was so cute. Bailey wanted to be the angel, and was wonderful in the private rehearsal (in Doug's bedroom) but nervous and quiet during the actual performance (apparently aunts and uncles can be very scary! :-). Colby wanted to be the innkeeper, because we said all he had to say was "No room!" He was very brave and rude in the bedroom, but, again, a chicken on stage. (So disappointing for their Thespian mother!) My nephew Tanner, the wise man, stole the show, since he's only 2 years old but walked in the room and, in his cutest voice, said, "Wise men came!" and then gave the Baby Jesus (Bailey's wrapped-up stuffed giraffe) a kiss. Camille's kids were Mary and Joseph, and they were very reverent the whole time.
After the "play" my sisters and I all let our kids open their Christmas pajamas, which was a tradition in my mom's family that she always loved. We only got to do it once in awhile growing up, because my dad's a believer in not opening anything until Christmas morning, so it was different every year. But the girls all liked the idea, so our kids all got new pjs to sleep in Christmas Eve night!
After all this, Cliff invited everyone to his house to watch a movie in his homemade theater (one whole wall is the movie screen), so we all headed over there, only to have a blizzard come out of nowhere while we were there. By the time we all got back to Doug's later that night there was fresh snow everywhere, and the plows were out in force. It made me appreciate the snow-plow guys, who have to leave the comfort and warmth of their homes on Christmas Eve to clean the streets. But I do love the magic of a white Christmas!
This is the view from Doug's apartment later that night, just before Santa came!
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