Christmas with a smaller pack

This was our first Christmas as a smaller pack.  And it seems that at times the old adage 'the more things change the more they stay the same' holds true.  The biggest change from last year is that instead of 7 we are now 6.  Looking back on the day I am struck by how much everything stayed the same.  And, funnily enough, nothing was planned out - it all just happened that way.

Like last year, on Christmas Eve we went to Evening Mass at St Mary's, and then on Christmas day we opened presents around the tree in the morning, took the dogs for a family hike in the forest, and cooked up an elk roast for dinner with friends.  Later in the evening we sat around the fire in our new chairs and read our new books.

All dressed up for Evening Mass

Nora refused to be photographed at Evening Mass

I think my favorite part was the Evening Mass at St Mary's.  It was Nora's idea to go.  Last year they were in the Nativity play, but this year it was their friends in the play.

While at the event I realized that Christmas is not Christmas without some sort of prayer or contemplative thought.  Christmas needs meaning or it becomes just presents and crass commercialism.

Our family is not Catholic, but the mass and liturgy still hit all the right points.  I almost cried shaking hands with all the people in the neighboring seats (actually I did cry but just a little bit).  Nora knew all about how to read and sing the carols out of the books, and told me that if I did go to communion I'd have to cross my arms in front of my chest because I am not Catholic.  The priest told the Nativity story and it was all about the 'little guy' and the 'unimportant' people and why it was so significant that Jesus was born in a manger and not a palace.

With the meaning of Christmas out of the way, Christmas morning was all about opening presents.  I was impressed that the kids lasted until almost 7:30 before starting to open presents.  And at first it was a mad rush of ripping paper and squeals.  I could see that it was going to be over far too quickly, and instituted a policy of opening one present at a time while the others watched.This worked out really well, and the kids managed to savor a whole hour of present opening.

Looks like when it freezes back up we'll have some good skating!

Later in the day we all took the dogs for a hike in the woods. Stuey brought along one of his favorite Christmas presents - a new 'wrist rocket' sling shot.  I told him the rules - no people, animals or windows.  And he seemed to stick to them pretty well.  On the hike we met a few neighbors and all laughed about the inevitable broken windows.  I was relieved to hear them laugh, and we all agreed that broken windows are a part of youth and way better than some sort of inside digital or battery operated experience. Nonetheless, Stuey will lose the slingshot if I see him breaking rules; this was the same thing I was told as a kid. Funnily enough, and this is something me and the neighbors all seemed to understand, is that learning how to break the rules is also a part of growing up (and Stuey you better not be reading this!).

And no, Stuey did not take a potshot at Nora - only trees and inanimate objects

For Christmas dinner we had Lisa and Gregg and John S over for an elk roast flavored with homegrown garlic, and served with roasted carrots and beets from the garden and a big dish of Yorkshire pudding.  I looked back at the pictures from last year and saw many of the same people sitting at the same table with the same red table cloth (click here).

This year the elk roast was a huge piece of backstrap and I used my 'red neck' sous vide recipe (click here) to cook it up. This year instead of resting the roast at 128 degrees I kept it at 130 for an hour or so.  It came out perfectly, and I even noticed John cutting up his slices of meat on the plate with a fork!

Happy Holidays from the smaller pack!  Patrick