Christmas 2021

I can't really believe we are on the other side of Christmas already. Seriously. December went so incredibly fast. 

We ventured to my parent's house on Christmas Adam. 

Husband hasn't been to their house since Christmas 2019, so it was really great to be there together. And both of my brothers were there. 

Christmas Eve has always been my family's big celebration. We had a great meal and then opened presents. Everyone loved all their things. 

Even Rocco the dog was over the moon with his new presents to eat and chew up. 

On Christmas Day we went to Mass. 

And got a few more presents. 

Then we went to my brother's house. He bought a house last year and he wanted to host a holiday. He really went all out and did such a nice job decorating and planning. 

We played our traditional Christmas dice game. Everyone loves it! 

We played many more games and then my brother planned a Spooky Christmas Mystery for the kids. It started with them watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and then every adult was given a station around the house with riddles, games, or activities for them to complete to earn the next clue and ultimately a little prize. It was so much fun for them! 

My parents went back to their house right as the kids were going to sleep then three siblings and the one spouse got to hang out together. We played another game and the annual Mario Party tradition continues. 

I won!!! That is NOT part of the tradition typically. But that was great. I cannot stress to you how much I enjoyed hanging out with my brothers. 

So my brother's new house is in a tiny little small town, and he lives no kidding, right across the street from a tiny old church. So Sunday we were able to walk to Mass which was novel. 

It's like the one-room schoolhouse of churches, it didn't even have bathrooms. You would have had to go outside and to the office building next door. After Mass we walked to the main drag (read: not far at all) for breakfast at the one restaurant in town. The kid's Mickey pancakes surprised us all when they came loaded up with m&ms. (The menu read: Kids Mickey Pancake... $3.00 so how would we have known?!) 

They were obviously a hit. The rest of Sunday was spent lounging, eating, playing more games, and hanging out. 

Monday we left for home again. It had snowed a bit overnight so the first bit was not the best drive but manageable, and wouldn't you know there was a rainbow?!

Okay, not the best pictures but it was there. And since I saw my first rainbow in June, I thought it was very neat the second time around too! 

We made it home safely and had family presents to open still. 

Then today I had to go back to work but it snowed here so the kids got a great day of playing with all their new things, most of which we wouldn't let them open in Minnesota and playing outside. 

They even made a snow Snoopy. 

All around, a great last few days. And in the spirit of the fact it's still Christmas... Merry Christmas friends! Ours was Merry and I hope yours was as well.