It was a nice Christmas. Quiet. Tim and I had the morning to ourselves. We opened our gifts to each other and the gifts from our son and daughter in law.
My oldest granddaughter was a great secret agent. She got the wrapped gifts from their hiding place in the guest room downstairs and under their tree with no reminders needed.
It was a good Christmas morning. We spoke briefly but the girls were far too wound up to talk long.
My daughter and son in law came with William. They brought a beautiful greenery arrangement and gifts, and opened their gifts from us. William was pleased. He had mentioned something he really wanted, probably back in mid-October. He doesn't appear to have given it a second thought. He was a happy kiddo when he opened it.
Our daughter across the pond gave us a five day vacation to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. She swears she had travel points and coupons. I hope so. It was an extravagant gift. Tim and I haven't taken a real vacation in years. We are talking about perhaps adding a week to the trip and touring the upper peninsula of Michigan. So that was a happy conversation.
We had our quiet ham supper.
Tomorrow they are calling for a catastrophic ice storm predicted to last 17 hours. Tim had pretty big plans for the day, but I think I convinced him that we need to stay close to home. Downed trees and widespread power outages on top of the dangerous roads.
I chopped up some ham and made a small pot of bean soup in the crock pot. It the power does go out, we have plenty of candles for light. The heat is gas, and we haven't had any problem with that since Tim replaced the regulator. I think the best place to weather this storm is right from our own warm house. If we lose power, I can just take the crock of soup and sit it on top of the heating stove in the basement.
I hope everyone had a good Christmas at your house. It was a memorable one here.
Sounds good to stay close and safe. Your heat doesn't need an electric part to run? Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteSounds like the best celebration ever...and good plans for staying put AND future travels.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lovely day. While I haven't seen the US side of Niagara Falls, the Canadian side is wonderful. Your daughter is kind to her ageing parents. It's impressive that your heating will work without electricity. I guess you can light the boiler with a match or it has a non electric supply ignition.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the perfect Christmas to me. Your gift from your daughter sounds so nice! We're also getting ice weather alerts this morning but I'm sure temps here in Pittsburgh will be milder than yours.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful Christmas, Debby! And what a nice gift, Niagara! OMG, 17 hour ice storm? Yikes! I have a falling tree phobia - ever since a tornado swept through our town in '15 and took down trees all over our town. The town looked naked for years, and the falling trees did so much damage. While I love to be home during a snow storm, ice has always scared the crap out of me. GOD I hope it isn't as bad as predicted. Stay safe and warm.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice Christmas you and Tim had. Love that your granddaughter had her secret agent job todo . So cute! Glad William got what he wanted. I loved watching my grandkids opening presents, so excited to get what they wished for. How fun to be planning a trip away … what a nice present from your daughter. Truly a wonderful Christmas for all. Cali
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very good Christmas. And good plans, immediate -- stay home -- and future -- Niagara. The falls are terrific from the Canadian side.
ReplyDeleteYour Christmas sounds pretty perfect to me. Quite, calm, lovely, loving.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I'm not even sure what an ice storm IS! I feel incredibly fortunate about that too. Please stay warm and cozy.
LOL -- I was thinking the same thing. "Do I even know what an ice storm is?!" Floridians can be clueless about these things, and ice storms don't really happen in the UK either.
DeleteNiagara will be an interesting trip! Dave and I went there years ago but only for a single night. (And with two big dogs!)
That is a heck of a gift. If you go in the right season, there are wineries to tour in that area. Take a look at the Welland Canal too and Niagara on the Lake. You can take in a play there, and there’s a good hat store for men.
ReplyDeleteThat was a lovely celebration. Happy memories.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your Christmas! Ours was busy and fun but I'm glad it is done!
ReplyDeleteExcellent way to spend the day, quietly with family. Same for us here, bike ride in the morning, a chicken adobo for dinner (no traditional meals for us) I hate ice storms, there are few things that are worse. Happy Boxing Day.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and warm for this storm. Tomorrow will be bitterly cold here. minus 35 C I hope it doesn't get to your neck if the woods.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and family are headed to Ky by way of Buffalo and Cleveland. They haven't hit the storm yet but likely well.
ReplyDeleteHappy Boxing Day, Debby, and stay snug and warm! Chris from Boise
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a lovely day, Debby. We celebrated the 23rd and I have all my kids/grandkids together for the first time since 2019. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're spared from the ice storm (or at least from the worst of it). They're no laughing matter. It's currently 70 something degrees here.
That sounds like a lovely day and I'm glad your family was able to get together. A few days in Niagara Falls sounds wonderful. I always enjoy seeing them.
ReplyDeleteGood plan, stay home. Atlanta, GA used to get ferocious ice storms, power would be lost for days. It was as if they forgot from year to year to prepare for this. Our neighbors had a fireplace, so my brother and I slept on the floor in front of it. You have the perfect set up for this.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!! I am still basking in awe at your Santa Toy giveaway!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a pretty good Christmas. I hope the storm doesn’t last long and the soup provides the sustenance. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteJust catching up with everyone this evening! It sounds like a nice day, Debby. Except for the ice. That's not not good.
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