Holiday Recap

     So Christmas has come and gone. Our decorations are still up but that will be remedied later today. It was a really, really good year and everyone under this roof got piles of loot and we all had a great time being together.
     Christmas Eve at my mother's house was a lot of fun. Our tradition has become a few drinks before dinner while socializing and then a big meal at the table together. Every year we have the Greek dish Pastitsio, a big salad and cookies for dessert. After we eat we open these crazy holiday poppers that have a little plastic toy, corny jokes and paper crowns inside. Ruby's came with a whistle so we were treated to her whistle stylings for the rest of the evening. Someone else got a little plastic watch which she wore all night and Christmas day.
     We did have one rough spot that night. Ruby was very upset when she found the letter that Allie Grace, our resident elf, had left for her. I guess despite knowing that the elf was just here for Christmas, she never thought about her leaving. She had a big cry and we comforted her and assured her that she would return next year.
     The next morning my mother arrived at six and kept me company until the girls woke up. It wasn't long before everyone was tearing into the gifts around the tree. The girls got everything they asked for and more. I was stoked with my scores: a Judge Dredd anthology, a camera mount for the bike, some new clothes, a handful of new flashlights...I did really good. olivia got a new camping hammock. She had been wanting one for awhile, too bad she'll have to wait a bit to use it. 
     We got both of our mothers a book version of the first year of this blog we titled "The Sidecar: Year One." It is a an awesome looking paperback with text from the posts and high quality images of all the photos. We were excited about it and were very pleased with how they turned out. olivia got an amazing recipe book from her family which also included some great family history. We got a Blu-Ray player from some friends and we have really been enjoying the upgraded quality of our movies and a ton of online content through the built-in wifi. 
     After everything settled, the girls slept and I had some friends swing by. We just chilled in front of the TV and drank beer egg nog with rum. I even got a little time in out in the garage. We had a relaxing evening just hanging out and enjoying our gifts.
     Like I said before, this was a really good year. Thanks to everyone for everything we received. We appreciate you and your gift of friendship most of all. I hope everyone's Christmas was as good as ours. Again, from my family to yours, Merry Christmas and we wish you the best for the coming New Year!