I am in the recovery phase of a beautiful day. There is nothing I enjoy more than having all my kids home. It was one of the better Christmas celebrations we have had.
I tried making the macaroni and cheese in the crock pot today so I could get it done and the dishes cleaned up early. It worked well. I will probably make it in the crock pot from now on. Besides the Mac and cheese I also fixed a green bean casserole. The kids all brought the rest of the meal.
Jason makes what he calls Pig Tails. He takes a pork loin and cuts it into finger size pieces. Soaks them in buttermilk and then deep fries them after dipping them in a flour mixture. Everyone enjoys them and I didn’t have to cook! Michelle brought mashed potatoes and Nicole brought a broccoli salad. It was a treat for me to eat someone else’s food.
We also celebrated Ellexia’s 16th birthday today. She loved her cake and that was our dessert for the day in addition to all the cookies and treats I had made.
We played three different games that were fun. We gave up doing gifts for each other and play games instead. Everyone had fun and all raked in the bounty of the prizes.
I am about 60% done with the clean up. I am letting the dishes air dry and then I will put them away and wash up the remaining few. Then the kitchen needs a good wipe down and the floor needs mopped.
I had the kids move the things that had been stored on the front porch to the new addition. Tomorrow I will need to go through the totes I had stored things in and find out what is in them and then find places for all of the stuff I need to keep in the new addition. The last shelving unit fits nicely and I think once I get everything on shelves we will have plenty of room back there. Right now things are scattered here and there and it is disorganized. Too tired to deal with that tonight.
I got rid of lots of the treats but still have lots left. I will have to make another batch of fudge and peanut brittle to share with my brothers. I still need to make New Year’s Cookies and will get all that made sometime next week.
I can officially say Christmas is over for me this year. It was one of the least stressful Christmas’s I have ever had. Everything seemed to come together fairly easily and today was a very relaxing and fun day. Now to to look forward to the New Year.
Next week isn’t too busy for me. The insurance guy is coming to look at Kathy’s car Monday and let me know how much they are going to pay to fix the driver’s side door. Wednesday the heating and air guys are coming to add heat and air to the addition. Thursday I have a Cardiologist appointment in Emporia. I want to go to Wichita one day next week. I’ll see what the weather does and find some time to go to Costco and go visit my Aunt.
Getting the back room sorted out and organized will be my priority for next week. I also have some things left on the porch that need taken to the shed or moved to the back room. It was too cold today to mess with them. I was grateful for what did get moved off the porch.
Basking in the afterglow of the day. Lots of laughter and love in the house today. We do have fun together and enjoy each other. Tagen wasn’t able to come as he had to work and I missed him. Grateful all the others were able to come.
Grateful for a beautiful family day, grateful Christmas is over this year, and grateful for a warm house on this cold day.