Christmas Eve may just be my favorite holiday, ever....

We've just finished having my parents and my brother and his wife (and my nephew) over for Christmas Eve dinner. (My only regret is that my sister and her husband don't live closer so they could join us.)   It has become a small tradition for our home, a tradition that I love.  Obviously I enjoy cooking, I adore getting to use my Christmas china, my Waterford glasses, my Lenox holiday serving bowls and crystal platters.   It's all lovely, the lights even seem to twinkle a little brighter on the tree when family is all gathered in our abode.

We enjoyed London broil tonight, my husband's specialty.  It's divine.  I hate you weren't here to enjoy it with us.....but I don't intend to share the leftovers....I love you and all, just not enough to give up my London broil for lunch tomorrow.  Alongside that divine entree, we shared twice baked potato casserole (a new favorite of mine from a Southern Living specialty cookbook....I'll have to post that recipe sometime soon), rice pilaf (because the boys don't love potatoes like we do, I offer another starch), baked beans (don't ask, T5 loves this with his London broil, and as my mama said, "well it is Christmas, you should fix them for him"), grilled asparagus (oh my lands, this was the BEST THING EVER....found a recipe online and even my Dad and Temple said it was delicious), and a Romaine/Bosc Pear/Gorgonzola Cheese salad that was out of this world (if I do say so myself).  Plus we had an assortment of goodies platter to munch on for dessert. 

I can't tell y'all when I've been happier (and no, Kevin, it doesn't involve the glass of red and white wine (my liquid buspar) I had with dinner this evening).  We ate, we talked, we ate some more, my Daddy threatened to take back half the "stuff" he found while walking around my house tonight that is supposedly "his".  For instance a few very old decanter bottles located in my dining room.  At any rate, he and mom took a look at our Christmas tree, the boy's Auburn tree, Baby Girls' colorful tree and all the Christmas decorations, even the many many Christmas Cards that I have hanging all around the entryway.  We reminisce about folks from our family, friends from other cities we've lived in, college roommates, etc.  It's SO HEARTWARMING. 

Then as a special treat tonight, Middle Child played a TON of Christmas carols on the piano for us before dinner, during dessert, and afterwards an encore.  Even Elder Son trapsed in to the parlor to play us a few tunes.  Middle Child played my mama's favorite, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".....from memory.  He only learned it 3 weeks ago.  He amazes me.  I wish I had their talent.  I wish you could hear him play.  I wish you were here with us tonight.....it has been divine.  Absolutely divine.  And we aren't even through with Christmas Eve yet.....

We're down to just our core family of five.  We've bathed our beloved labrador, Sadie, because another tradition is that she gets to sleep inside the house on Christmas Eve...in the bed with the boys.  They LOVE it!   We've washed all the dinner dishes.  I'm gearing up to get started on the sausage squares for Christmas morning and cut up the fresh fruit. The kids are nestled in front of our crackling fireplace (even though a fire isn't needed, it's still a Christmas Eve tradition) and they are watching A Christmas Story (classic if there ever has been---"You'll shoot your eye out!").  Before bedtime, T5 will have read from Luke 2 and we'll have talked about our glorious Savior.

Yep, it's an enchanting time of year.  A time of traditions, a time of family, a time of a lowly manger birth. We are savoring every moment.  I pray all of you are savoring every moment, too. 

We wish you a Merry Christmas, straight from deep in the heart of House of Bowling, to you and yours.