Egg Nog Roasting By An Open Fire

Eve’s greetings from the Christmas Cat, Lillian!

Afternoon snacks: tea and a bourbon ball

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading…

For the first 20 or so years of my life my family traveled to Maryland and New Jersey to spend the week of Christmas with my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents on both sides of the family (we’re the only Southerners of the family). We always spent Christmas Eve with my dad’s side and drove back to Maryland on Christmas Day to be with my mom’s for Christmas Dinner – the same routine my whole life! I have so many wonderful memories from  those trips. Once we were in college and then working full-time with numbered vacation days and then with husbands and boyfriends and in-laws, the trip wasn’t as easy to take. Thus, we have spent the last few years here in Hillsborough. While we still have all the partying and food, I do miss all of my family and all the traditions of my childhood.

Tonight we carried out the tradition of Uncle Paul and Aunt Ellen’s Christmas Eve sub buffet and had quite the spread of sandwich toppings. I LOVE SANDWICH BUFFETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was perhaps one of my top 5 sandwiches for 2008. A hunk of sub bread with a slice each of maple ham and salami, half a slice of pepper jack, mustard, jalapenos, lettuce and tomato – and a few chips!

Plus some orange x3

Some chips…(nothing goes better with a sandwich) I had a few more than this as we set up the table and some pickles!!

And a simple salad for filling – but it was almost too much salad!

With a Root Beer to drink. The rest of the crowd is filling up on beers, but I decided to make tonight very light on the drinking so I can wake up on Christmas Morning “feeling my best” (as my sister mocks me saying all the time ) I didn’t feel that great this morning and want tomorrow to be better! Plus some Ruffles!

Familia

At 7:30 we walked to church (it’s so warm here this year!!) for the Christmas Eve service. The church was packed! We all had fun singing carols, lighting the candles during Silent Night and congregating at the end. The Younger Girls!

Then we came home for the traditional Christmas Eve Party in the living room by the fire.

There were tons of snacks!!!

My mom’s famous Sherry Cheese Dip, Cookies, Mexican Scoop, Shrimp, Meatballs, Cheese Straws, plus chocolates, more cheese + cheesecake

And delicious candied nuts that I ate WAY too many of!

I started with a bite of almost everything (minus meatballs) –

And had 2 cookies and more nuts

And had a few more unphotographed bites of cheese + crackers and chips.

And finally, the egg nog (bourbon spiked!) roasting by the open fire

We opened a handful of our presents tonight and plan to finish the rest on Christmas morning! I got some wonderful gifts

The good news: I FEEL GOOD!! Full, not stuffed. Sober. Not shaky with sugar overload.

The bad news: I still ate way too much. But as we’ve all agreed many times these past few weeks, tis the season.

And to all a good night!!!!