Enjoying the Day

After gifts (which take a while, we open one gift at a time), dinner preparation began in earnest. Casey provided us with live music.

The living room was cleared of torn paper and empty boxes, and the guys set up the tables and chairs. Drake set the tables while Ilex supervised craft activities with Luke and Levi. Leif miraculously took a nap. Icing on the cake, I tell ya!

While Mom was reading books to Ivy, the three sisters (and Ben) got dinner together.

The menu: spiral ham, cheese potatoes, bread dressing, brussels sprouts roasted in olive oil, candied yams, lime cream souffle, and cardamom bread with sweetened orange cardamom butter (oh, and sparkling cider, of course!).

Ilex read the Christmas story, and then the boys played with their new knights and horses, while the adults lingered over their last bites.

The guys were the clean-up crew...

...While Ilex serenaded us with Carol of the Bells.

We took the requisite family walk at sunset (pictures coming) so that we could find room for dessert (Shannon made apple dumplings with cream~our grandma's recipe). We cozied up in the living room listening to Casey play his guitar, singing along when we knew the words, then played a rousing game of Scattergories. Eventually gifts, empty dishes, coats, and tired children were loaded up to head home. Who would change a thing? Not I.