Christmas Eve - perfect

Christmas Eve was perfect this year. Christmas Eve has always been my favorite part about Christmas, the excitement of the day to come, being around friends and family, and eating literally the best meal of the year. The last two Christmas Eves have been less than perfect, two years ago my Grandpa was too sick to celebrate (he loved the festivities as much or more than I did), and then last year family was scattered.

This year, however, it was once again like a dream. We arrived at my aunt's and uncle's house at five, with the most delicious appetizers we've made all year. Of course this was to contribute to everyone else's most delicious appetizers. We eat better on this night than every other night combined. E's family arrived a little while later, along with Theo's family (my cousin's boyfriend's family). We ate, smiled and missed my grandpa way way too much. We also drank, also a little too much. As the appetizers dwindled, and everyone wished they saved more room for dinner, the most wonderful smells started coming from the kitchen. Laura had made a ham, a turkey, homemade rolls, three trays of twice baked potatoes, and two extremely huge pots of fantastic Indian food with the help from our family friend Yagnesh. Everyone seemed to find room, because everyone, including me, had two plates of dinner. And then after dinner, when everyone swore there was no more room for anything else my mom brought plates of tiramisu from the kitchen. We all said “just a little” and of course it was the most amazing tiramisu any of us had eaten, and ate every last bit. E, actually, had three helpings after his two helpings of dinner.

Also, we played the most spectacular game. Laura’s gift to the family was this game, where everyone got numbers. E drew #1, and I had #14. Number one picks a gift, and opens it. Then number two can either steal the gift, or open another one. If the gift was stolen, #1 gets to open another. Then number three can do the same, either open or steal. Pretty soon we realized what the gifts were, $20 to the most awesome restaurants in town! No gift was bad, each one seemed better than the last. Nobody was mad when a gift was stolen, because there was something seemingly better to receive. E (because he was first) got his gift stolen more than five times. I stole a gift when it was my turn, and we untimely ended up with two $20 gift certificates, one to Red Rock (best pub in town) and one to PF Chang’s. There were all gift cards to Red Iguana (most amazing Mexican), Squatters (another great pub), Desert Edge, and Sawadee (best Thai in town) and more. We were just a little sad that E’s family didn’t stick around for the game, since it was such fun!

I adore my family and had such a fantastic Christmas Eve.

I love this photo of my Grandma getting the last of the dinner prepped. Of course she was smiling, but she was moving so fast to get everything perfect, she is a blur.
Brandon is looking quite handsome. I guess that is why he gets all the ladies?
E has another drink (only water, this time).
My Mom and Chuck are so in love. This is a cute photo of them.
My sis is so cute.

Next post: Christmas Day!