A Christmas Eve Surprise! - December 24, 2008

Every year on Christmas Eve the Dixon clan bundle up and trundle down to Papa Bruce's house to do luminarias. This tradition pre-dates the Brothers Dixon. I've been doing this so long, I've often asserted that it isn't Christmas unless you smell like the ditch (from getting sand for the luminarias) and your fingers are both freezing and scorched (freezing because it's cold outside and scorched from using matches to light the candles). And then after all the luminarias are warmly glowing in their brown paper bags (1" fold - seams to the back) we can all go inside and enjoy a lovely repast of New Mexican food.

But nothing is so Christmas-y as surprises. And this year we got a great one. Our nephew / cousin Gabriel came all the way out from California to spend some time with us.

He showed up on Christmas Eve to help eat dinner and then spent Christmas Evening with us at Aunt Jill's opening presents. This was the first time the Brothers Dixon had met their cousin from California.

 

 

Also came cousin Stephanie. She really enjoyed playing with my live doll (i.e. Dexter).

Sarah (Gabriel's mom) also dropped by for just a minute on Christmas Eve. It was so good to see everyone. I just wish we could get out to California sometime to visit!

Maybe when the Brothers Dixon are a bit older and can handle the trip. Wouldn't that be a Christmas surprise....