We had a beautiful mild Christmas Day. 

We celebrate on Christmas Eve - always have - always will. This tradition comes from my dad - who also celebrated Christmas Eve in Eastern Tennessee. His dad, a coal miner would bring home oranges and walnuts - and put them in their socks. No fancy stockings like we have - SOCKS! 

I always have oranges and walnuts for Christmas Eve. 

The kids all came over around 5pm, Christmas Eve. 

It was a busy hour when they first arrived as I was finishing up the potato Latkes and I put together a plate for Margie. My Husband offered to bring the plate over so I could stay and continue the last-minute details of our meal.

My gift to them is to make everything cozy and homey. And to offer FOOD and lots of it. 

The flexible flyer sled out there belonged to my dad and we used it as kids when we would go to Tahoe. 

Before and after dinner we sat outside on the patio - had a small fire burning. 

We had a wonderful time with a lot of hearty laughing going on. My sons are pretty funny guys and always make us laugh. 

Everyone left by 11:30 pm. 

Church on Christmas Day was nice - although I admit I was having a hard time staying awake. I am not used to such late nights. 

The husband loved his new lawn mower and he and Laydee mowed the lawns together. 

I had forgotten to mention: Laydee did it again. On the 23rd when I brought over Latkes to Margie, my husband forgot to place the 12 jelly donuts in the pantry. When we came home, Laydee had polished off 9 jelly donuts. 

Shame on us - because we need to be more careful. We opened up a box of See's candy and remembered, we need to not keep that on the coffee table as in the past. 

Christmas Day night was the last evening of Hanukkah. 

This morning we woke to fog.

A big storm is heading our way - for heavy rain and wind. Should hit about 6pm tonight. So we're all pretty excited. From the looks of it, it could give us close to a week or more of rain, which we need.