It’s been a good and busy past several days. After spending Christmas morning at home, we spent the afternoon and evening at my in-law’s house in town. My sister-in-law was there with her husband and kids, as they usually spend at least a week visiting over the holiday break. Last year I missed every night they were here. I’ve been fighting off a cold and am very tired, but didn’t feel it was right to stay home this time.

We had a wonderful time. This year she and my mother-in-law planned a few more activities for us to do on Christmas day. They had gingerbread ninjas for the kids to decorate along with whoever else wanted to participate. We sang through the 12 Days of Christmas, with each of us taking our own verse to sing (my in-laws listened). They had a Rudolf bingo game with prizes in which I won a Santa hat that lights up.

Tonight we had another gathering at the dining hall. My mother-in-law’s siblings invited their kids and families. When my husband’s grandparents were alive, they held this gathering each year on Christmas night. Josh and the kids went down to set up tables and found the pipes had burst in the off-season bathrooms. It’s always something with the plumbing here, but it was still a nice night and the dining hall kept warm.