New Year's Eve

We left Litchfield this morning after breakfast in the hotel and drove back home. The roads were a little slick by Springfield but it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. We stopped at Avanti's in Normal for lunch. B got the special of the day - chicken parmesan. We bought two gondolas to take home and eat for dinner.

When we were unpacking the trunk of the car I noticed the cork was out of this bottle of wine that Darla had given me. I thought that was odd (did she give me an opened bottle?) and eventually figured out that it was so cold the wine froze (there was ice floating in it!) and the cork popped. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but it was pretty good ... and very, very cold. It was left in the trunk overnight and temperatures were around zero. Andy thought it had enough alcohol in it that it wouldn't freeze. Wrong.

Just look at that sassy teenager in the background as Andy opened some champagne for us. It's the champagne he got from the office on his 50th birthday. She had two friends from Naperville over for the night.

Andy and I made this horrible attempt at a selfie photo ...

... until B offered to take a decent picture of us in front of the tree. I went to bed about 9 and Andy didn't make it to midnight either. E had dinner with her boyfriend and B was home with us while the girls said they were going to stay up to ring in the new year. Here's to 2018!

Christmas at Cindy's

Andy drove the kids down this morning for Christmas at Cindy's. We stayed the night at the Litchfield Hampton Inn, where I met them at about 12:30 p.m. This was the horrible choice of hallway carpeting at the hotel. I think it looks like someone poured dirt down the middle of the hall. They should rethink that. The carpet in the rooms and stairs had much better patterns.

We weren't supposed to get to Cindy's until 4 p.m. so we ate appetizers at Nancy's pizza next door to the hotel then walked around Walmart for a bit where L played the crane game once ... and won.

Pretty sunset on the way to Cindy's.

We got to Cindy's and ate some more (lasagne, tortellini and Italian beef) then played Christmas bingo.

Everybody got one prize and I got the grand prize, a $10 McDonald's gift card because I was the first to bingo twice.

While Kevin went home to walk his dog, I got this picture of Cindy and the kids. Notice Cousin A's dog who destroyed the gift card we had bought for Cousin T's wife:

Apparently, the dog attacked it when it was under the tree. At least the numbers were still legible. When Kevin came back it was time to open presents:

L is in love with this sequined pillow. It changes color depending on which way the sequins are brushed.

E's turn.

We gave Kevin another Swiss Army knife. Guess you can't have too many.

Andy got three bottles of wine.

Among the things we gave Cindy were Fiestaware salt and pepper shakers.

Dinner at Tilley's

I drove down to the farm this morning because Kevin wants me at the bank tomorrow morning to cash out one of mom's accounts. However, because I signed papers and emailed them back to the bank, the person at the bank said she could give my check to Kevin so I didn't have to be there in person after all. I found that out after I arrived at Darla's house, where she graciously allowed me to spend the night.

So, since I didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn the next day to get to the bank, Darla, her husband and I went to dinner at Tilley's Tavern in Mt. Olive. I had been there once or twice back in my college years when it was a dive bar. It's now expanded into adjoining space and expanded its menu. It claims to have the best burgers in the state. I'm not sure who bestowed that honor on the bar but it was a good burger. We sat at a table on the stage of the expanded area, in front of the Christmas tree.

Here's Darik picking out songs for us on the jukebox - a John Cougar song, the Outfield and Poison. Yes!

The view from our table to the expanded dining room. It's a work in progress. We stopped at a bar in Staunton on the way home. It's run by a woman Darla knows. We joked that we could stop at every bar between there and Darla's house. I thought there was one bar, but there are three. That's way too much excitement for this night. Maybe next time.

Youth group alumni outing

E and B went to a local escape room this afternoon as part of a church youth group alumni gathering. Our youth minister, who organized the outing, said the kids were smart and broke a record for fastest escape. Afterward, they went to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner.

Thank you note

I knew when I saw the writing on the envelope that this note came from sensei. I sent some Christmas cookies for her to school with L before the break. Not sure if the "Um Wow" on the card refers to the cookies or to my reaction when I opened the card and saw this:

I could read the word "basement." I suppose she figured with three Japanese students and one fluent Japanese speaker in the house, I could easily have it translated.

Family Christmas dinner

Me and Andy.

The family is here.

Family photo.

B and Cousin M.

Pre-dinner conversation.

Andy's perfectly cooked tenderloins.

Letting the kids load up their plates first.

Ready to eat.

Andy's plate with a little bit of everything.

Newly engaged couple.

We played the sock-gifting game.

L and Cousin N.

Winding down the evening. Yes, B fell asleep on Aunt Allison's shoulder again. The picture I took wasn't very good. He was sitting in a chair by me when he asked if I thought there was room for him on the couch between Andy and Aunt Allison. I said I thought so if he tossed a couple of pillows aside. That's what he did before he covered himself up with Aunt Allison's blanket and fell asleep.

Christmas dinner prep

The table is set with my deer/outdoorsy theme - green tablecloth, plaid runner, birch candles.

I found these plaid ornaments last year and decided to use them as napkin rings. B decided on using the red napkins.

Cookies are set out ...

Appetizers are ready ...

Drinks are ready to be poured ...

And Andy is handling the cooking of the beef tenderloin.

Andy also made a pitcher of Santa Claus-mopolitans - delicious!

Christmas morning

B was the first of the kids up this morning. He opened up his stocking then proceeded to nap until the rest of gang got up.

Because there was no cars on the streets, I took the opportunity to take L out for her first drive on streets. She was pretty excited and did a good job. We drove across Ridgeland, up to Randolph and back down East. She practiced her left and right turns and braking. She's getting better. The only hiccup came when she was at a four-way stop and a police office pulled up to one of the stop signs. Even though it was her turn to go, she waved the officer through. She didn't want the first car she hit to be a police car. I'm sure we looked suspicious.

We opened presents by age so I was first, then Andy. I gave him an ISU alumni sweatshirt and a sound bar for the TV. The sweatshirt was a surpise; the sound bar was not.

E got a cupcake pan (that she wanted), cupcake liners, an Apple watch charging station and an AOE sorority license plate frame.

B got two new games for his Nintendo Switch.

We gave Mayu a gift card to Forever 21, a KEEP Collective bracelet with a few charms and a Fuji Instantmatic camera. This was her opening the camera. She was pretty excited.

L got an art drawing kit, a boatload of bath bombs and a thing that will let her listen to music on her phone while simultaneously charging it.

An overview of the living room while L was unwrapping her presents. We also opened presents from Mayu's family. Each kid got a pen with their name on it that writes different colors. We also got cookies, earthenware mugs, coasters and a music box.

Oops. Almost forgot the pickle present. We sent all the kids out of the room and hid the pickle. Here they are trying to find it.

And L found it! Her prize? A box of Pocky candy.

Brother and sister getting along. I think that's my present.

Mayu opening her stocking. She likes Milano cookies. Who doesn't?

And this is a tradition Andy and I started years ago - a nice frosty margarita as a reward for getting the house clean as we wait for the family to arrive.