Well, this year we are trying to do something different. Brian's parents live here in the same town as us, but my family (parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) live an hour and a half away.

Instead of splitting Xmas day waking up early, driving like maniacs, opening presents, eating breakfast, then rushing back to spend the evening with his family, we are going to do it different. Also, this is the first Xmas we have the dogs.

We and the dogs are going to my parents' house on Xmas eve, have dinner, and spend the night. Then we'll get up, my grandparents will show up, we'll open presents, then have breakfast. Breakfast is creamed eggs on toast with sausage, fruit salad, juice, and coffee.

Then we'll leave and be back to our town by lunchtime so we can spend time with his family. His younger bro will be here from San Francisco and his sister will come from Pennsylvania. There will be lots of great "island food" (his parents come from the West Indies)...curried prawns, rum cake, fish, salad, ham, lotsa of tasty veggies, fresh bread, probably about 5 different pies. It will also be our (Brian and me) first Xmas together married, so that'll add an interesting dimension too.