We have a lull. I should say I have a lull. Everyone else is busy. The big kids and their folks are at the mall for the day. The kids got gift certificates and money for Christmas and are having a great time, I'm sure.
We had a dusting of snow last night. It's been sunny for a few minutes so Paul and Dan have the Vincent and Evie outside. They're out sledding on our back hill. In fact, I heard through the grapevine (via Dan) that Paul even went down once! Nancy and baby Walter decided to see what was going on. Walter fussily put on his snowsuit so he could joined his brother and sister outside.
I don't own boots. At least I don't think I do. I haven't worn them in a couple of years. I can see the top of the hill from my window as I type, and periodically there's someone there and then they disappear from view, so I guess they're sledding. Dan has my camera so I hope he's using it. ( He did and got some great pictures.) Gracie's having a grand time - barking through the back window at all the commotion.
We've had a busy couple of days. Somehow the days are becoming a blur.
Monday: Brenda, Eric, Emma and Lina arrived from California/Germany - via NYC then a stop in Middletown to visit relatives, get a rental car and came in on Monday afternoon, the day after Brenda's birthday which she spent in NYC. Greg, Noi, NeeNee and Brenan came in later that night from Florida.
Tuesday, Christmas Eve: Sharon had everyone up - on Christmas Eve early to help decorate Christmas cookies and have some pickled baloney for lunch. It's a family favorite. Pickled baloney. (I can't see why.) Paul and I went for lunch. While we were there, it snowed - perfect to make it a White Christmas Eve. We didn't get to church . . . the first Christmas Eve in a long time. We hadn't actually planned on going, so that was okay because we were expecting Jeff and Dorothy.
Jeff, Dorothy and DJ drove down after work, on Christmas Eve night around 7:30. The roads weren't good, but they were coming from up near Rochester, a three-hour trip. It was slow-going. Dorothy brought Chili for us all for supper. We had 17.
Wednesday, Christmas Day: Sharon, Dave, Lee, Charles and Ida join us all for brunch cooked by Greg, Jeff, and Eric, at 11:00 and then they stayed for the rest of the day.
An aside: During a flurry of activity, Dorothy came up to me and said, 'you know Jeanne, there's a lot of dog toys and slippery mats around on the floor. You'd better be careful.' Then she said 'I say the same thing to my mother.' I, of course, felt rather indignant - her mother's in her 80's. I'm 73. Not a spring chicken, but nevertheless...
So, wouldn't you know - with all the people here, all the throw pillows, shoes, boxes, etc. I climbed over some stuff and took a fall trying to get some glass candlesticks out of my bookcase. Tripped over my own feet, I think. Sometimes my sneakers don't want to go where I want to go. Didn't hurt myself, but it shook everyone and me up. Everyone rushed to help me up. Hurt my pride more than anything. Stupid. I'm a little sore, but that's all. The rug is very soft. The one-hundred year old candlesticks were fine too.
Nancy, Dan, Vincent, Evie and Walter arrived early afternoon from Nancy's dad's house all dressed in their Christmas finery, and the Corning relatives came in a little while after them. All told, including baby Walter, we had 27 for dinner.
Even though we had 27 for dinner, we still had family missing. And they were missed.
Bill and Epril are in Florida. They went to Pensacola to spend Christmas with Epril's cousin and her husband. I saw pictures of the four of them on Facebook. The table was laden with wonderful foods for a Christmas feast. We talked with them on the phone later on Christmas day as they driving home - a seven hour trip. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't that good, but Nancy and I still had a chance to chat, and I promised Bill that we'd call them tonight on the phone (just to touch base again.)
We were starting a white elephant gift-exchange, and everyone was so noisy. It was hard to hear. And before that:
Alaina, Dorothy and Jeff's 23 year-old daughter, is in the Peace Corps and is just settling in, in Uganda. She had a time set to call us at 1:00, so everyone crowded around the phone in the living room. It was on speaker/phone so we could all listened. And then she talked to people individually. Both Brenda and Greg had been in the Peace Corp so Paul's family is very familiar with it. Alaina still isn't settled in, but when she is, she'll be getting lots of packages from home.
I think I mentioned to you all, that as a Christmas gift to Paul and I, since we requested NO GIFTS, they're all chipping in to plan menus, shop, cook, clean-up, do all these wonderful things for us while they're here. It's been wonderful and we've appreciated it all. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family.
Dorothy, Jeff and DJ left for home, after Christmas dinner, because they all had to be at work today. Jeff retired in September, but he's now working at Home Depot. Dorothy works for Wegmans, and DJ works at a lawyer's firm in Rochester.
Nancy and her family moved into the big guest room upstairs, vacated by Jeff and Dorothy. The kids are on air mattresses. Baby Walter is in the walk-in closet in his crib. I have two cross-stitch baby pictures on the wall, and a rug on the floor, so other than windows, it looks like a little room. He has a night light they brought with them. Nancy said he's very comfortable in there.
Evie has decided that Gracie wuvs her because she's always giving her kisses. (She doesn't realize that Gracie does that to everybody. She has trouble controlling her licker.) Evie and Vincent are both being very gentle with her. For little kids, that's good.
It has started snowing again. The kids came inside a while ago. I found some hot chocolate on the shelf. Evie told Nancy and me that when she was tired she said she told them (Paul and Dan) that she wanted to go home. Nancy said - isn't it great? You are home.
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