The Holiday Finish Line!

Tonight we celebrated Hanukkah with Aaron’s family, and now our holiday marathon is complete. It was a nice evening, filled with good food (yum, brisket!), good conversation, and some very thoughtful gifts. It went very smoothly, aside from Aaron’s step-grandmother calling Cordelia ‘Samantha’ for half of the evening, which was just amusing.

Aaron and I each received some cash, so that we could buy exactly what we wanted. For Cordy, she’ll be getting another addition to her college fund. She also got a beautiful wooden truck that hauls wooden cars, and a soft doll bigger than she is. No bad gifts here! I really enjoy how much thought is put into each present in Aaron’s family. So many gifts are crafted by local artisans, and each one has a special meaning to the recipient. Aaron’s step-mom made me a lovely sun catcher, and Aaron received a copy of the music from De-Lovely (knowing that he loves musicals).

Each adult was assigned another adult to buy a gift for. I was given a member of the family who I didn’t know very well. Luckily, he seemed to really like the gift I got him: a chunk of honeycomb straight from my mother’s bees on her farm. She got into the hobby of beekeeping a few years ago, and this year she was able to harvest some honey for everyone. It’s very light, sweet honey, and you can’t find it anywhere else. I think his immediate family may steal some of it as well.

The schedule for the evening wasn’t the best for Cordy. Food was served before gift opening, then the candles were lit, and then it was time for presents. By the time it was her turn, she was snoring away on mommy. Crankiness was oozing from her before this, and I secretly hoped she would fall asleep, so I wouldn’t have to keep chasing her back into the living room. No one seemed to mind that she didn’t get to see a single gift.

After the gift opening, Aaron scooped up the sleeping child, and I gathered up our belongings and said our goodbyes. It was a very peaceful ending to a hectic three days.

Oh, and for those who are wondering about my mom: she is doing much better. Last night she felt so awful, but she took some anti-nausea medicine, and it helped her sleep. This morning she was able to eat a little, and had enough strength to drive herself home. I hope she’s taking it easy today, although knowing her, I’d guess she’s not.