Christmas Nuggets

We've been having a wonderful time with family over the Christmas break.

Here's hoping you are the same.  

It started out with us arriving at our Utah house to find it warm and clean and decorated.  Thanks Jim and Lu and Dayna and Al!

Then we set about recaulking the tub and calling the plumber--not once, but twice--to come and fix leaking things. 

We had plumbers last year, too.  Next year we're just going to set a place for him at the Christmas table.

Brewed up a batch of mac and cheese (thanks, Alma, for sharing your recipe), a new holiday tradition discovered in Philadelphia.

At the Christmas Eve family party, Dayna's meticulously decorated Christmas display was attacked once again.  This year's traditional "pillage the village" was the result of the village denizens rising up and organizing an anarchy support group: Occupy the Village.  Previous years have seen the village under road construction, falling victim to ebola virus, and selling out to corporate interests.  Is nothing sacred? Some day, Dayna will have revenge.

Despite the annual village attack, Dayna, and crew put on a fabulous feast.

We also spent some time in Ogden, where Great Grandma Grace and little Grace spent some quality time together.

Grandma Terisa was mobbed by a gang of granddaughters.

She added girl-sized furniture to their new tea set, and they enjoyed the first of many tea parties.

Finally, we are wondering if our Utah house is too large any more.  More than once, Terisa has had to text or call me from the far end of the house...

We are loving the holidays with only one regret: we can't be in both Utah and Philly at the same time to spend time with all of the people we love in both places.