CHRISTMAS EVE

so not the CHRISTMAS EVE

i envisioned.

i am a product of a splendid

CHRISTMAS EVE tradition...

a progressive dinner

beginning at the home of my upbringing.

an evening so memorable,

that many a personal essays have been written on the event.
a night so exciting that it almost
overshadowed
christmas day.

i have always hoped that i would pattern

(i am 100% sure that rick would hope so too)

my CHRISTMAS EVE

after that of my childhood.

i have the christmas dishes.

i have the recipes.
i even have an adorable apron with frills.

i have a love for celebrating the most magical event

in all the history of mankind...

the birth of my savior.

so what happened?

i happened.

i am just not the domestic goddesss i think i am.

i also learned a few things:

i do not recommend waiting until

 CHRISTMAS EVE

to do christmas shopping.

it may mean that your guests arrive before you do.

they did.

i do recommend proper planning

and then adhering to the plan.

as i reflect,

food items had been purchased previous to  

CHRISTMAS EVE.

serving pieces were ready and placed jus so.

mother knew just what needed to be marinated

and for how long...

which dish was placed in the oven

in order to be warm and on the table before

the welcome and blessing on the spread of
delicious, lip smacking

hors d' oeurves.

it was just as much science

orchestrated with a bit of magic

as it was an act of cooking prowess.

our

appetizers

became

aftertizers...

"pick it up on the way home

live by default" type of items.

i delivered gifts while rick unloaded bags of groceries.

my one true success

took affect before sleeping eyes

opened...

the table was beautiful

true to form,

 mom and dad

made me feel like what transpired

 was an  A+++ 

top of the notch job,

but i knew better.

did i need to pull out the old family photos

from scrapbook's past?

had they forgotten what it was supposed to look like?

there was no christmas story from the bible,

yet i remembered the reason for the season

in a childlike nativity

that featured the prominent characters

and noah's handmade woodbox

for a stable.

there was no

 "it's a wonderful life..."

movie with tinkling of bells

and angels receiving wings.

rather, noah given charge

 selected

"the lone ranger"

the only thing resembling 

CHRISTMAS EVE pasts

was a new pair of pj's for noah.

 though his grandparents

were CRIMSON RED 

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH graduates,

they rejoiced at noah

posing

in BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

 COUGAR BLUE

it was a humble, simple CHRISTMAS EVE

with the very people i love the most

and maybe,

  just maybe,
 it played out

according to how someone else 

envisioned it to be...