Monday, December 29, 2008

Christmas Recapped

Christmas this year was full good food, quality time with family and friends, great gifts and of course belly rubs!

Christmas Eve was spent with the Frizell’s of Metuchen. We got off to a late start, but everyone really enjoyed being together and eating a wonderful Italian meal. St. John made a scrumptious Manhattan clam chowder, Mike and Chrisi made home made crab cakes and my mom made an amazing standing pork roast! It almost looked to pretty to eat, but fear not, we devoured it!



We used to have these long Italian meals with several courses, but I think we’re evolving into a simpler dinner and more time for the kids to open gifts. It’s a challenge to keep a four year old and two year old at the table for many courses and then still have enough time before they have to be shipped off to their respective parent’s houses. Wait until we add a 9, 8 and 7 month old to the mix – things are sure to change even more!

All the moms- to-be posed for a photo to commemorate this unusual occurrence – all of us pregnant at Christmas. I’m due March 26, Chrisi’s due April 7 and Linden is due in early May.



Something that won’t change is that the family dog will ALWAYS lay in the middle of the floor during the present opening madness and eventually get covered in all the paper and bows. Here’s Haggis looking a little confused about what’s going on…



Christmas Day was spent with the Mazzarella family. We had a great time eating and catching up. Reese, who’s two, wasn’t really into opening presents, but managed to get through a few before running off to find something else to do. Here’s a pic of Frank enjoying the new massage chair at his aunt Genn’s house. He was pretty excited how his belly moved side to side… it was actually quite funny.



On Saturday, I headed to National Park, NJ for the BIG Frizell Pollyanna party. My step-dad’s side of the family is so large; we have outgrown having our annual Christmas celebration in a house! So off to the VFW. I think we must have had 60+ people and that’s just aunts, uncles, cousins with spouses and their children. I’d have to say it wasn’t as “homey” but it still was nice to see everyone and I got to meet the newest addition, Gavin. At just six weeks old, he handled the Frizell Family chaos with ease.



We all exchange gifts – grab bag style, we call it Pollyanna. There’s some sort of computer program that was created to choose the names, very high tech. Children running around with wild abandon, while the younger cousins (who I swear were just sixteen last year!) were sitting around playing beer pong with their new spouses or fiancés, the cousins my age were comparing pregnancy/labor war stories and the aunts and uncles started breaking out in song. It truly is a memory I look forward to every year.

Throughout our entire celebrations I couldn’t help but think how different next year’s celebration is going to be. I lavished every relaxing minute - sleeping in until 10 on Christmas day and taking an extra long shower – all things I know I won’t be able to do next year, or many years to come. The new baby will bring many changes that will cherish.

Eighty-seven days and counting!

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