What a long, satisfying day. I've been awake since the middle of the night last night, when we got a text update from daughter number one, who left super late and powered through a snowstorm in the mountains to come visit for the holiday. Once it was light enough to get out of bed, I hit the ground running, finishing the cleaning, cooking my contributions to the family potluck, and setting up to have what ended up being fifteen people here for a feast. It was a crush, as they used to say in Regency times, and it was all I hoped it would be. We needed borrowed tables and borrowed chairs, and by the end of the night it was pretty warm in my living room, even with the weepy single-pane front window and cold snowy day.
We managed to seat everyone, feed everyone, have plenty to drink, and even have enough silverware to go around (thanks to this morning's gift from daughter number two, two more place settings of my favorite pattern, something I've been hoping to receive for years). It was hectic and noisy and wonderful. I mentioned last night that I've waited since we were in our twenties to be able to host the whole family, and today I got to do it for the second time since we bought this house. It makes me so happy to bring them all here. It wasn't the entire family -- a few spouses won out this year so some nieces, nephews, and three of my in-laws were missing, but that's okay. I'm not sure we could have fit the other twelve people who were elsewhere. But for the fifteen who made it, it was just right. The siblings who hosted Thanksgiving have a house twice this size, and it was more suited for the whole clan. But at least now I'm in the rotation, and I loved it.
When the kids were little, our Christmases were much bigger. More gifts, more activity in the mornings. This year it was just me and the man, and I think I made out with more stuff than he did. But then, he does get pretty cranky when I suggest buying him presents. I do it anyway. And I'll do more next year than this one, just because I'll have more folding cash (assumably). I got good things, including some things I've wanted for years. But really, the best gift of all was the people: the family, the camaraderie, and that man exhibiting a little holiday cheer. Happy holidays, friends!
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