Our Holiday

When I was little and I'd ask my mom what she wanted for Christmas, she'd always say "I just want you kids to be happy." I thought she was full of it - I mean, who doesn't want anything for Christmas? Who would be content to spend time with friends, see the joy on the faces of their children - who'd be satisfied with a living room full of paper and plastic and utter chaos, or a belly totally overstuffed with breakfast goodies and Polish treats?

Now I know my mom's had it right all along. Yes, I got some wonderful presents - but the best gift was a heart full of love and a mind full of memories. Can't really put bows on that.

Our fun started on Christmas Eve day, with lunch at Jade Garden with the neighbors. It's becoming a yearly tradition for us all to get together for Chinese food - and it was wonderful! Jake was thrilled to be sitting next to his "girlfriend" Mercy, sharing chicken nuggets and fries, while Justin was busy trying to grab anything and everything within reach. We all exchanged gifts - giggled at our fortunes from the cookies - and headed home.

We weren't home for very long before my parents appeared with a Mazda packed to the gills with presents. It was a bit of a challenge to keep the boys from plowing into the gifts - but we somehow managed to distract them long enough to unload and settle in. Dad went to check into their hotel and mom spent time with her shadow (aka Jake) while Justin slept. Steve and I headed out to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was beautiful - - - there was even a baptism of the cutest twin boys! Rosie, the neighbor's daughter, noticed the look on my face and whispered "Kirsten, don't get any ideas...you just had one!"

Once Steve and I got back, it was time for Jake to hit the sack. So we got out a plate and left 2 cookies for Santa (as Jake said, we don't want him to get "tummy sick") plus some apple for the reindeer. After he was settled, we devoured pierogi that my dad brought - and while Steve brought up the rest of the presents, I got a breakfast casserole ready for the next day. Mom and dad headed to the hotel for the night - and we settled in as well.

Although Justin woke a few times for a bottle, there were no 3am pleas to open presents. And thankfully, the stocking full of goodies left by Santa was enough to keep Jake occupied until mom, dad, and Dana arrived. Here's Steve and Jake playing with some of those sponge-capsule thingies...

Here's Justin playing quietly before opening...

And here is the carnage after...

We all recieved wonderful presents. Among the goodies we recieved, Steve got a mini fridge and TV for his "man space" downstairs. Jake got his Click Start Computer that he asked Santa for, and Justin got some clothes that fit! I got a gift certificate for the Norwich Spa, and a tin punch Dana made. It's the Watch Hill, RI lighthouse, where Steve proposed.

After the gifts were open, we sat down to brunch - Egg Nog bread with Pumpkin Butter, Breakfast Casserole, Apple Bread Pudding, Kapusta and Kielbasa with Rye Bread, fresh fruit. It was all so delicious. Dana headed out around 2 to meet up with his girlfriend's family - and seeing as mom and dad were jetting their way to NC for the Car Care Bowl, they left shortly after. It was different than we've done in the past but still nice.

So there's our day! Like I said before - gifts are nice, but the fact that we were all together - happy, healthy, and loving - was the best present of all.