Christmas in July 2019 - Day Twenty-Eight

The ABCs of Our Family Christmas

A - Advent - Mum used to buy Advent calendars for my sister Barbara and me, and then for Sophia, so now it's my job for make sure my nephews, Marc and Alex, have them every year as well.  Not really sure if my sis approves of the chocolate ones I buy!

B - Buffet - Christmas Eve Buffet that lasts for several days of snacking - Baked Ham with Pineapple, Caesar Salad, French Bread, Chilled Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, Pate, Cheese Board, Marinated Mushrooms, Green Olives - yummy!

C - Custard - for pouring over the Christmas Plum Pudding!

D - DVDs - we all get at least one so they come in very handy for Q - Quiet Time.

E - Eggnog - Love it or hate it?  Vic and I love it.

F - Fruitcake - Again, love it or hate it?  I've been buying the overpriced ones from a British Food Supplier online but this year (and I know I've said this for the last few years!), I'm going to try to make my own.  No fruitcake jokes, please!

G - Green - As in Mum's quote about my decorating, "Every flat surface is covered with something red or green!"

H - Ho Ho Ho - Our days of Sophia believing in Santa are over but we can still pretend, can't we?

I - Icicles - Love to see them hang from the eaves of houses.

J - Jesus - The reason for the season.

K - Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales, England - Site of our 2001 Family Christmas - the best Christmas ever!

L - Lazy - Christmas Day afternoons.

M - Memories - Of Christmases past, loved ones no longer with us, friends and family.

N - Naughty or Nice - Which list are you on?

O - Ornaments - At last count, 440 and every one is special (good grief, how many years ago was this list compiled?  Ornament count is, gulp, over 800 now).

P - Christmas Pudding - So delicious.

Q - Quiet Time - See L and D.

R - Reflection - I spend time every Christmas going through the previous year's cards - re-reading the family newsletters, fixing the pictures of the children in my mind so I can marvel at how much they have grown when this year's photo arrives.

S - Stockings - There's always a (chocolate) orange and nuts in the toe.

T - Traditions - So many, so precious.

U - Unwrapping - All at once or one at a time - what's it like at your house?

V - Visitors - We love to have a holiday Open House, usually one of the two weekends before Christmas.

W - Wreath - Our patriotic, Go Navy, wreath has adorned our front door in three different states now.

X - Xtra Special - Everything about Christmas.

Y - Yule Log - Every year, I wish we had a fireplace and this year, we have one!  It's a gas fireplace so I'll have to imagine that a yule log is in there.

Z - ZZZZs - What follows L, D and Q!