Christmas (Buckle Up, It's a Long Post)

Peter and Jessa are already back home in Casablanca, but I'm behind in my blogging. This picture was taken on December 22, which was their first night here in Long Beach. We were thrilled to have both of them here for the weekend before Christmas. Jessa left on Christmas Eve to be with her family in Pennsylvania, and Peter stayed on for the rest of the week. This picture is from a Christmas concert we went to at the Long Beach Symphony. 

December 23rd was busy. First, Brad picked up Mary at the airport. Then, since Jessa wouldn't be with us on Christmas morning, we opened some gifts. In the afternoon, we threw a big Christmas party for about 30 family and friends (which is why I'm wearing an apron).

It was fantastic to have almost everybody here. We missed John and Troy and Andy, but fear not, they'll all make an appearance before this post is over.

First, the party! Jessa and Mary were huge helpers, including making this Christmas tree-shaped cheese plate.

I don't have many photos of the party but this one is my sister Kathy with our mutual friend (and our neighbor) Bill. Kathy was here with her kids (her husband Don flew in on Christmas Day) and my sister Kelle was here with her kids too. (Her husband Bob was home sick.)

My mom is always cold, and that afternoon was no exception. Kelle's daughter Sarah captured it perfectly.

We wear matching Christmas pajamas every year. This year since Jessa left on the 24th, we wore them a day early.

My mom and my sister Kathy and her kids Lauren and Brian stayed at a hotel here in Long Beach, and they came over for breakfast and to spend the morning with us.

It was a treat to have everyone around the table.

After breakfast Brad and Peter took Jessa to the airport, while the rest of us (minus Mom) took a walk along the water. Brian wowed me with the selfie reach of his new Google phone. Meanwhile, Mary wishes she had brought her sunglasses.

But sunglasses or not, she was excited to get some candy canes from Santa's helper.

Before Mom & Co. headed down to Temecula, we had a lunch at In N Out.

On Christmas morning, John and Troy (and Troy's mom and their dog Sirius, not pictured) were with us, thanks to the magic of the internet. We opened gifts together and it was the next best thing to being together.

We had our usual Christmas brunch after opening our gifts.

Then we got dressed and took another selfie. As far as I'm concerned, we can't take enough group pictures!

For Christmas dinner we went to my sister Kelle's house in San Juan Capistrano, where Brad had some fun with the salad servers.

Kelle made a beautiful dinner for 18 people.

Bob was feeling better by now.

 Brad and Emily.

The rest of the Reckinger kids: Sarah, Jack, and Erin.

Poss women.

On the 26th we met up again with Kathy and her family and my mom, this time in Rancho Bernardo to visit my Aunt Joyce and Uncle Kelly. In this picture: Brian, Mary, Uncle Kelly, Aunt Joyce, Peter, Lauren.

 Peter with his godparents and his grandma.

On the 27th we drove up to Culver City and met up with college friends of both Peter and Mary at a great craft beer place called Father's Office. This is Peter with his friends Mike and Erika. Peter and Mike have been friends since freshman year of college and Peter was in their wedding a few years back, which strangely enough was in Long Beach. (Before we lived here.) Mike and Erika live in DC but they're from Southern California so they were out here visiting family.

We also met up with Mary's Stanford Band college friends Max and Ben. They're also both originally from Los Angeles and were in town visiting family from the Bay Area, where Max works at Tesla and Ben is in med school at Stanford. We got a long table with Peter and his friends on one side, Mary and her friends on the other, and me and Brad in the middle.

Peter and Mary accidentally scheduled flights that left at almost the exact time, going to the exact same city, but on different itineraries. They left late on Friday night the 29th, and we as though we hadn't already eaten enough, we had some catching up to do that day in the food department. First up: breakfast burritos at the World Famous Reno Room.

In the afternoon we had mini donuts at Do Good Donuts, a delicious donut place near our house.

We saved room for a dinner at our favorite restaurant, Taste, before driving these two up to LAX. Mary flew back to DC to get ready to go back to work on January 2. Peter flew back to DC as well and he first spent a couple of days in Pennsylvania with Jessa's family. Then at the end of their trip (they arrived back in Casablanca earlier today) they were in DC to see friends and celebrate Jessa's 30th birthday. (More on that tomorrow.)

Once home in DC, Mary sent this picture of she and Andy with one of the themes of this Christmas: the gigantic home state mug. And that concludes Christmas 2018 with the Harrison family!