Christmas 2021

Here’s a recap of our family’s Christmas 2021 celebration.

Hi friends! I hope you had a good holiday week.

We spent Christmas in Hillsborough with my side of the fam since last year (pre-vaccines) we did not travel. This year it was a great relief to have all of the adults boosted and the older kids vaccinated. The cousins had a great time playing at ages 2 (Avery), 3 (Birch), 5 (Emerson), and 9 (Mazen)!  

Gifts In North Garden

Earlier in the week, we did a gift exchange with Thomas’s fam.

All of Mazen’s dreams came true when Nona set up a scavenger hunt that ended with this hoverboard!!

He’s a pro already! I am not going near it – I would probably break something (esp. after I went head first over his scooter last year!)

Christmas Pizza

The day before Christmas Thomas spent most of the afternoon making his family’s traditional Italian Christmas pizza. We have the recipe and a photo how-to ready for a blog post. I’m not sure if it will go up soon or if I’ll wait for next holiday season to publish it. 

Christmas Eve in Hillsborough 

We drove down to North Carolina on Christmas Eve morning in a car packed with gifts. 

Mom has decorated the house with many of my grandmother’s heirlooms – from her vintage Santas to flags she made that once hung in her church.

These wooden reindeer have been in the yard every year I can remember! 

Christmas pizza and chili was on the lunch menu! With an IPA. 

Christmas Eve

I prepared a big charcuterie board following the step-by-step in my Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board post but with totally different ingredients. 

For dinner we had Hillsborough BBQ with brisket, pork, beans, hushpuppies and more. 

And Candace (my brother-in-law’s mom) made this delicious chocolate cheesecake. 

The boys wrote a note to Santa and said goodnight. 

I wish I could say I didn’t see them until daylight, but I heard some bumps in the night and went into Mazen and Emerson’s room to find the lights on and the beds empty. 

I found Mazen roaming the house with all the lights on the first floor on. The time? 4:15am!!! WTH! (Emerson had gone to her parents’ bathroom.) Luckily once I got Mazen back in bed and reading his kindle he fell back asleep until all the kids woke up around 7. 

Santa came!

Highlights were a Harry Potter lego for Mazen, and for Birch, the ambulance he’s been talking about nonstop for weeks! 

For the girls – an Elsa dress and a scooter!

Holiday Jog

Mid-morning once the gifts were opened and the children playing, I slipped out for a quick 2 mile jog. I needed a little quiet and a little fresh air! I went to my old elementary school and came back in 20 minutes so Thomas could do the same. 

Christmas Brunch

We had pastries, fruit salad, quiche, Christmas pizza, and mimosas + bloodys. 

Play Time

After brunch we all walked to the elementary school to let the kids get out all of their energy. Thomas, Matt, David and I played a little soccer! Pea + Birch played lots of pirate ship. Mazen enjoyed the Gaga pit. 

We were blessed with 70 degree weather, and I took a nap on the porch during kid rest time! “She had just settled down to a long winter’s nap….“ 

Gift Exchange

During happy hour we did our annual secret Santa gift exchange – everyone gets one great gift! I got a new pair of Ugg slippers and a Rewind candle. Guess who my Santa was?? Thomas! 

Christmas Dinner

Dad carved the ham, and we had sweet potatoes, brussels, green beans, brandied pears and rolls. 

+ Cherry Pie a la mode from Bye Bye Gluten bakery (my sister is gluten-free) 

We came home on the 26th to the gifts that keep on giving

Merry Christmas to you and yours!