Christmas Day 2013

This is the first Christmas that I have been able to spend the day with my grandkids, because they first lived in Connecticut, then in Oregon, and now they live in the Caribbean. It looks like they are going to move to Michigan soon, and this year they are here in NY for close to month.  

They chose and cut down a Christmas tree and put it up, and decorated it. (Mostly with ornaments they purchased at the Salvation Army). They have done a lot of shopping. The kids and I made gingerbread houses, Christmas cut-out cookies, and we went to a local geocachers Christmas party. Its been a lot of fun. My sister visited for a few days the weekend before Christmas. We have played a lot of games and done some craft project, put a couple of puzzles together and gone to the movies THREE times!

But, best of all this morning I got to be with the kids when they opened their Christmas gifts.  First I prepared breakfast (baked french toast and sausage and strawberries).  Then it was time to pass out gifts.   Cassy received a special camera that takes fast pictures and can go underwater, and several accessories to go with it.  She was delighted.

Tyler seemed to like the books I gave him  (he picked them out himself at the Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta a couple of weeks ago.

Megan and family gave me a LED flat screen TV and a cast iron skillet!   I love them both.  I decided to try out the skillet right away, while Chris got the new TV set up.  I cooked up a lb. of bacon.

Chris finished up
making pies for Christmas dinner and we all headed to his brothers house for Christmas Dinner.
Mike had cooked a ham (Appleton ham from Aldi's) and Chris made some delicious ham gravy.  Also on the menu were mashed potatoes, green salad, coleslaw, banana bread and cranberry bread.

After dinner, they exchanged gifts.  Mike and Tina gave me a box of Russell Stover chocolates!
After watching the kids play (Mike's son Jason came with his girlfriend and his two kids Lexy and Cody), we had several deserts to choose from.  I tried the peach cobbler I made, as well as the red velvet cheesecake and the lemon meringue pie that Chris baked.

Megan, Chris and the kids stayed, while I left early in order to be home to receive Christa's phone call from Oregon.  We talked for about twenty minutes, and then she had to go and get ready for work.

It was a very special Christmas.  Hopefully, by next Christmas they will be living in Michigan and I will visit them there OR they will visit me in Lockport (hopefully I will be there by next Christmas).