We had a quiet weekend and I loved it!
Friday: I worked until lunch. We had our monthly lunch meeting with our team & did a white elephant gift exchange. I received a small charcoal grill. After lunch, we took DD & my in-laws to Dolly Parton's Stampede for our annual wedding anniversary trip. In 26 years, we've missed two years of Stampede. It was great, as usual.
Saturday: I did grocery shopping and we went out for dinner, but otherwise, we stayed in all day, wrapping gifts & watching Christmas movies with DD.
Sunday: Church x 2, with the night service being our candlelight service. It was the best one I've been to in the past 8 years we've been back. We ate out for dinner afterward.
Today I work while DH & DD go to the mall & hang out before picking up DD's best friend. She'll hang out at our house until after dinner.
Christmas Eve: We're changing up our traditions this year. We usually go to the mall with FIL & MIL while FIL buys his Christmas gifts & we people watch before eating Chinese food in the food court. This year, we're going out for breakfast with DH's best friend & his family. They have no parents still living, he is an only child, his wife has sisters who are lots older than her & spend their time with their families. This year they were finally able to adopt her niece, who is eight years old. She's been living with them since she was around 18 months old. They wanted to start a new tradition with us, so we're going for it! Our DD & their DD will exchange gifts. After that, we'll probably come home for a nap, and my plan is to make cookies to take to Christmas dinner. I"ll watch the Little House on the Prairie episode, A Christmas They Never Forgot. I'll be making chicken casserole, green beans, & corn for dinner for just the three of us before watching It's a Wonderful Life. DD will open her Christmas pjs & a small gift before bedtime.
DH's parents were supportive of the change in plans. They also said that they know the family traditions they have will have to change with the times since the grandchildren are older and will soon start having families of their own, which complicates our already complicated blended/broken families that need to make time to see all of the parents & grandparents. Somehow, everyone "has" to be together for lunch on Christmas Day. No one can do Christmas Eve or Christmas night? We've all decided that it's best to just set a time for our family celebrations and say, "Come if you can." If they can't come then, they can get their gifts later. The family is growing too much to get everyone together at the same time.
Christmas Day: DD will open her gifts from us. All of DH's family will get together as usual, but we'll meet around at DH's parents house at 10:00 for gift exchange, then lunch instead of breakfast. We have done breakfast since before the first grandchild was born, & he's 23 now. Some will stay for lunch, others will have to leave to have lunch with other family. We'll come home after lunch. Maybe a quick nap, maybe! I'll make the chili before heading out to my parent's house for dinner & gift exchange as usual. We change up the menu every year: this year we're doing soups, sandwiches, & snacks. I'll make chili, mom is making soup. Don't know what sister & SIL are bringing. My uncle & aunt come over too. I assume that the granddaughters are spending the night with Grammy & Poppy on Christmas night as has become tradition.
Back to work for me on the 26th. DH works the 27th, then he's off until 1/2.
Sorry for the novel! This will probably be my last time here until after Christmas. I hope everyone is happy & healthy for the holiday season. Merry Christmas!
Keep a merry thought in your head 
