Christmas in Denver

2014 was our first Christmas alone in Denver with just the 5 of us. Lights on the house was a first for both of us. The house is mostly unpacked, so we were able to decorate the house with the mishmash of Christmas decorations we’ve collected over the years; but never used.

I got the four/five foot stocking you see in the pictures sometime in the 70’s when it was taller than I was. My parent got me this stocking because I woke up one Christmas and decided I would just open one present, and then wait for everyone else to wake up. One present became two, and then three, and then four; until I had opened all of my presents. I was on a roll and didn’t stop until everyone’s presents were open before they woke up. I was barely able to speak at the time and apparently explained “I just couldn’t help myself”.

They solved my obvious problem with self-control the following year by creating a Christmas rule that allowed me to open anything in the stocking, but present opening was forbidden until everyone else woke up. I joking told Lina that the stocking must be completely full…just like it was when I was a kid. To my surprise, it was full a couple of days later. Then I had to remind her that that was just the pre-amble before the presents were opened. There had better be presents too.

Lina met the challenge with gusto and, while the stocking wasn’t overflowing like it was when I was kid, I was completely spoiled. She topped it all off with homemade cinnamon buns for breakfast.

The weather was beautiful and we went for a walk around the lake with the dogs and started prepping for Christmas dinner. The dinner was spectacular with: