Northeast of Nashville there exist Christmas dinners consisting mainly of foods grown in a family garden and I have eaten some of the best sweet corn that grows on the planet. Â There are so many family members to see, but not enough time to tell them what they mean; the last two and a half months seem so unremarkable in the safety of familiar surroundings. Â We have a few precious moments to be here and it is so good to be home.
We stuffed ourselves full of food and conversation on Christmas Day, making our normal rounds to both sides of Drew’s family. Â I felt bad for the 7-11 employees that had to be on duty that morning. Â However, I was thankful for the coffee that helped me stay awake for the duration of our early Christmas morning drive.
Christmas Eve with my mom’s side of the family turned out to be a very late night. Â I think I counted six hours of laughter, noise, visiting, and anxiety over the meal that may or may not have been ruined (by me). Â I am not sure how many years the story will be told about the spicy sloppy joes, but I think everyone is safe. Â I definitely went into two grocery stores in my pajama pants…
Christmas Eve brunch with my dad and stepmom was much calmer and quite nice. Â (And the gluten free chocolate cupcakes were not a failure!) Â Don’t get me wrong, the noise of Christmas Eve night is good fun, but it’s great to start the day slowly and ease into the crazy.
Whatever your Christmas story is, I hope you are safe and warm. Â I also hope that your Christmas tree and cat did not catch fire.