Lights, camera, action! And Grandpa Ray cuts and sets up the tree. Grandma Elissa decorates the tree and the household. Enter! the three Claus family members, their spouses, and six grandchildren. Four boys and two girls. How wonderful! Merry Christmas and Buon Natale. Another eventful Christmas evening of fun, laughter, and surprises. Grandma tells all the family to shut the cell phones off. We communicate and talk with each other. They laugh but agree to the terms. The matriarch has spoken! Ha ha!
The evening begins with a luscious table of prosciutto, basil roll, stromboli, olives, provolone cheese, and a variety of appetizers. There is a selection of liquors for the adults and beverages for children aged 18 and under. There are also after-dinner cordials, but for now, dinner is served. Dinner is lasagna, meatballs, sausage, and gravy (tomato sauce), a huge Greek salad, and garlic bread. We don’t do the traditional seven fishes since the kids are not thrilled with it.
Our bellies are full, and now we begin to exchange gifts. The teenage boys receive a set of screwdrivers, and the boys think that is funny. Grandma reminds them that they will be driving and will need tools. They like the oversized snow removal shovels. The jackets that the fathers receive are laughed at and will be returned to Boscov’s. Thank goodness for gift cards! Grandpa Ray loves to watch the crew.
The women and girls get clothes, makeup, and some household things. Everyone is generous and appreciative. The best time of the evening is when we play the Bible trivia game. These cards were purchased at the Dollar Store during the holidays, and they are great! The questions are asked, and when you get the right answer, you are given a gift. The gifts are from the Dollar Store and all the free stuff that Grandma gets all year long from the charities she supports. The kids love the Daytimers, pens, prayer cards, calendars, grocery bags, and all the stuff they couldn’t care less about. There are bags with your name on them given in the beginning to carry your gifts home. Everyone loves to be involved, and you should hear some of the answers! All of us are very opinionated and very colorful regarding compliments. The questions do bring out the true meaning of Christmas. Whose birthday is it? Where was Jesus born? Who is the baby Jesus’s mother and father, and why do we celebrate Christmas? We are really teaching, but also having fun and enjoying the activity. The last and final question is worth $5.00. What were the names of the Three Wise Men? Do you know? Discuss!!!
We ask why we say Grace before the meal, and everyone remembers the night as informative, interesting, spiritual, and fun.
A House is made of walls and beams. A Home is made of love and dreams. In the Home is The Family! Thank God for the freedom to celebrate and bless all who live, laugh, and love each other. That is the greatest gift—to love one another.
MAKING MEMORIES! AMEN.
