Saturday and Sunday before we left, I looked after J on Saturday, while H and his mom and dad took him to the new Star Wars movie. A two hour babysitting job turned into an all day event, due to her running errands on the way home. Afterwards, I had to go and get another tire fixed (we seem to have problems with our tire rims, causing our tires to go flat......goody), and while I was waiting around, I got Anker his Christmas gifts, as well as a few more for everyone else. More on how we exchange gifts in our family later on in this blog post (or maybe another entire post). I got home at around 5. I can't remember what I did Saturday evening, but I think I just relaxed and hung out and watched movies. Sunday, I went to church, and then I went to Starbucks for awhile, and I ran a few errands (dollar store, and drug store, I think). Anker was trying to install something in our tv, and he was having issues, and he was getting upset, therefore, I just kept myself busy with laundry, dishes, and I think I started packing. I went back out at around 6, to take back some books at the library (I hadn't gotten to the library the day before), and I don't know what else I did. I think I sat in a parking lot for awhile (I do that sometimes). I went over to Emily's, as she had invited me to/for dinner, but when I got there, she forgot, so she bought us McDs! She and I watched "The Nutcracker and the 4 Realms" (I think??, or maybe it was "Finding Father Christmas"). I went back home at around 9 or 10. I think I blogged for a bit.
We spent Christmas with my family this year, and we both had a wonderful time! Anker was very social this year; he played a game with the family, watched a movie, played with J (2 yr old nephew), and he even went outside a few times (he can't handle the cold, due to his Raynaud's)! It was a white Christmas, which is always nice! It was even nicer that the roads were great on the way out there, there was no snow in our part of the city!
We hadn't been to the ranch since August, but we had seen most everyone at Thanksgiving in October. I cannot believe how time flies between our trips out there! I think because we "see" everyone all the time through FB, talk and text, and we see my parents sometimes, when they come into town, we think we go out there more than we do (or more time goes btwn our visits than we think it does). We left on Monday, the 23rd at around 2. We would have left earlier, but we were waiting for a package from his sister, that found out was coming that day. It arrived at around 130, and then I decided to arrange/organize our gifts for/to everyone, and we left at around 2. The trip out there was really nice, and not busy at all. I drove, and we had a fun time, talking and listening to Christmas music :)
We got to the ranch at around 4, and we got settled in. I had planned on spending the first night with my Aunty June. We had planned on having a weekend together back in November, but then I got sick some 12 hour bug, and it never ended up happening, so we (or rather I!) had decided that I would stay a night or over Christmas. I wasn't sure if she wanted me to still come and stay over, but she told Mom that she was excited for me to come, so I stayed over night on the Monday that we got there (23rd). We had supper first, before I went up, and I left soon after dinner. We had a nice evening of visiting, and drinking tea :)
On Tuesday (24th), we slept in and had a visit, and then had brunch. I went back to the ranch for a few minutes, and then ran to the store to grab a few things, and I came back home. We just had a relaxing afternoon. I think we hung out, relaxed, read, and maybe watched tv. I think Mom and I watched a bit of something (I think we watched the end of a Christmas movie, and a bit of something else). At 6, we left to go to my aunt's who lives on the property for a Christmas Eve dinner. It was soooo good! We had burgers, yams, some salads and a cake. We also had a communion time, in remembrance of Uncle Ted. We visited for a bit, and then I went back, and I helped Mom get things ready for the next day. I helped her make the 7 Layer Dip for our cold cut Christmas dinner. We had some eggnog in front of the fire and the tree either before or after Aunty Valerie and Uncle John came to drop off their gifts. We went to sleep at around 11, but I didn't sleep well, and I was awake for quite a bit of the night.
On Wednesday, the 25th, I woke up at 5, and I laid in bed for an hour, before getting up and sitting in the living room. I read and sat in the living room a couple of hours. Everyone finally woke up at 8, and we got the party started! We had our Christmas Communion time, which has been a tradition of our family for about 30 years. We read the Christmas story, and we talk about what we want to do (service-wise) to others, or ways that we want to "improve" ourselves (kind of like a resolution, but more service-focused). Afterwards, we started in on our gifts and stockings. We all got fun little things. Anker was thrown with the Toaster Oven that I got him, and he got me a mini (fake) bullet. I/we got chocolate, gloves, calendars, cheese, shampoo, trinkets, etc. We had breakfast, and then we relaxed and enjoyed the day. Mom had invited a friend over for both Christmas and Boxing Day, so Mom went to pick her up. By this time , my younger brother Joseph, and his wife, Cadence had come from their house across the river to hang out with us for the day. We got ready to have our "cold cut lunch", which turned into a sit down meal (I thought that it was supposed to be a snacky-grazing meal). It was SO GOOD! Cadence had brought Queso, and Tequitas. Mom had made salads, and her friend brought a few homemade condiments. We had brought juice, pop, and cookies to help out, but the cookies didn't get eaten. At around 2, A and his family came, and we then we had our second gift opening with them. We got coffee, homemade candles and granola, scrunches, BBQ sauce, more chocolate, a Royal Tea tin with Will and Kate's name on it (and tea inside), a Friends Trivia game, more cheese, Dutch cookies, and licorice, and I got a $15 GC to/for Starbucks. After the second gift opening, some of us went for a walk around the ranch. We came back and hung out for the rest of the evening. We visited, relaxed, watched a bit of tv, played games, and ate some more! After Mom took her friend home, some of them watched a "winner" of a movie, and I think I blogged, and read. I went to bed at around 10, and I was EXHAUSTED!
Boxing Day (26th), we both slept in a bit, and we had a nice breakfast together (pancakes, I think??), and we started cleaning the kitchen in preparation of/for our Turkey Dinner. J and C were at her parents', so it was "just" Mom and Dad, Isaac, Anker, Adam, K, the boys, and then our aunts and uncle. And then Mom's friend came back to spend the day with us. I think we had 16 people for dinner all together. We had a lovely dinner with all the fixings! We had Christmas pudding, and it was SO GOOD! Some people played games, and others visited. On either Boxing Day, or Christmas Day, Mom showed us her slides of her and Isaac's trip to The Philippines. It was great seeing even more pictures than we saw on FB, and we saw some videos that they took. I took Nancy home (it was the first time that I had been out all day!), while people played games. I think Anker was playing on his computer. I think we went to bed at about 10 or 11.
Friday (27th), we slept in again, and I think we had breakfast together. Anker and I decided to leave that day, as I was going to be house/animal sitting for a friend on the 28th. We packed up our stuff, so we could leave quickly when we were ready. It had snowed the night prior, and a bit in the morning, so I was a tad worried about the roads, and with it getting dark at 4, I didn't want to leave too late. My aunt was having a long time friend over (we grew up together), so I went over to chat with Aunty Valerie, Lorraine, and Mom (who had gone over a half hour or so before) for about an hour. I hung out over there for an hour or so, and then K, Mom and I struggled to have an hour visit, with just the 3 of us. Man, was it hard! EVERYONE wanted to come into the living room to hang out (though, to be fair, we probably should have gone to a place a little less central). After an hour or so, Anker and I bid our farewells, and off we sailed. The roads had thankfully cleared, and our drive home went well, even though there was a bit more traffic, and a few icy spots.
We both had a lovely 4 days at the ranch, and we really enjoyed ourselves. Definitely one of the best Chrsitmases that have had in awhile (though last year was pretty fun).
What is a visit to your family's sheep ranch, without a picture of said sheep??
1 comment:
Sounds like a great holiday!
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