Christmas Recap

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Christmas was magical. Sunday was Christmas with the Kohlmanns, with too much food, generous gift giving, and a couple of very silly toddlers. Monday was a prep day at my mom's house, mass, then a mini-Christmas celebration with Steve and the girls at our house. Christmas day was the big Marks Family holiday, again with too much food, generous gift giving, and a couple of very silly toddlers. Here are a handful of highlights (the few that I caught on camera):

Our first celebration was with Steve's extended family, on Sunday. It was a beautiful day for a drive. 

We had tons of fun hanging out with the Kohlmanns. Steve's aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents are all lovely people.
Left to right: Great Grandma, Veronica, Grandpa, Grandma, Clarissa, Great Grandpa 

Clarissa and Grandpa Kohlmann

The girls and Bubba, before heading to Christmas Eve mass. My mom made the dresses that Veronica and Clarissa are wearing. 

After church, Steve, the girls, and I went home to have our own little Christmas. We had a makeshift, last minute version of a traditional Slovak Christmas Eve supper. The meal would typically include oplatky with honey, mushroom soup, fish, peas, sauerkraut, bobalky, fresh fruits, dried fruits, nut and/or poppyseed rolls, kolache, coffee, and brandy. We didn't plan ahead, so we had oplatky and honey, peas and carrots, fresh fruit (oranges and pomegranate), dried fruit (raisins and cranberries), sauerkraut and vegan sausages, nut rolls, and wine. I have plans for making a full, vegan Slovak Christmas Eve supper for next year. 

Steve took dozens of photos of the girls and me together, and this is the best we got. I don't have any of Clarissa and me, in which you can see both our faces. 

Wearing new Christmas jammies and eagerly waiting to open their presents.

Clarissa loved her new blocks.

Veronica got Colorforms (the same set Auntie Sarah had as a kid).

We were at my mom's all day on Tuesday. We even spent the night and stayed all of yesterday. Somehow, I got very few pictures over the two days. 

Auntie Margaret gave C and V this turtle nightlight, which projects the stars and moon on the ceiling. Despite being a nightlight, the girls played with it more than any other present they got on Christmas day.

Bubba made C and V new pjs and bathrobes for Christmas. They turned the girls into super snugglers.

Auntie Kristie and Veronica, who is wearing the nightie Bubba made for her.

We put V in her bathrobe and she soon settled in on Cousin Hannah's lap, to play on the Kindle. Before long, Veronica was zonked out. Christmas makes a baby tired!

Other highlights, that I didn't manage to photograph:

• The girls slept through mass on Sunday morning and again at mass on Christmas Eve. 
• Captain in Diet Coke. Dandies marshmallows in coffee. Brandy in soy or coconut nog. 
• Veronica referred to pomegranate seeds as, "juicy corns." 
• Clarissa referred to a fit she threw as, "taking a tantrum."
• Celebration Roast with my mom's port wine sauce is delicious.
• Our family grew! C and V got their first Cabbage Patch Kids, from Bubba and Auntie Sarah.
• Driving backwards, when playing Mario Kart, is super funny.
• There is no limit to how many layers of nail polish that Hannah and I can apply, while sitting in my mom's kitchen. 

How was your Christmas? Did you enjoy a big celebration (or three), or did you keep things low key? Tell me how things went for you.