we made it to christmas in 2020! it’s been a year, right?
when our thanksgiving plans were ruined by some covid spiking, and then things just kept getting worse, i assumed that there was no way we would be celebrating our traditional “swedish” christmas with grandlidboms and madge. but, the grandlidboms pulled it off.
we met in the open garage (on what was one of the coldest days of the year, but that just figures, because 2020). each family had to BYOT, bring your own table. the menu was pared down a bit, and each table received their own family sized portion to serve themselves from. we had some space heaters and campfires. and we bundled up. and maintained social distancing suggestings. and remained masked when not eating. it was a holly jolly christmas.
it was a lovelier time than i ever could have anticipated. i think everyone al loved their gifts. and no one froze to death.
younger lidbom table. 
feast time. 
boy cousins reunited, talking growth spurts and video games.
all the grandkids photo. it’s hard to get a serious one these days.
once we were done with grandlidbom garage swedish christmas the kids starting counting down and getting VERY exciting for real christmas. all the lidkids have long since been in the know about the origins of their christmas presents, but i still wait for christmas eve to put them all out and stuff (and i mean STUFF) their stockings. and then i sit and enjoy the silence for a bit…
and before we knew it, it was christmas morning. we actually had to wake hazel up. anna was up bright and early (and most of the night). isaac stuck to his usual hard and fast sleep schedule. we made a valiant attempt at a christmas morning photo. we are well past the matchy jammies, i couldn’t even get anna to put on matching tops and bottoms.
hazel had a great christmas, as all seven year olds tend to do. she also left a few hilarious notes for us to find.
let the games beging. 
i found this on xmas eve. i was tempted. 
you’re welcome. 
jasmine costume. big hit. 
opening stuff from frankie. 
more legos!!
i like to think the boy had a great christmas too. he didn’t have a big list and i think he got everything on it.
books. 
phone tripod. 
shorts with pockets!!!! 
green screen. 
we have been obsessed with the simpsons during the pandemic, so my mom nailed it with this shirt.
i think anna had a successful christmas as well. she’s hard to read. lots of gerbil items and lots of art supplies and lots of bath and hair products. what more could a girl ask for?
gerbil gifts. 
her very own chick fil a sauce 
chicken calendar. 
unicorn shirt.
we actually kept it pretty low key this year, gift wise. it was sort of nice. it didn’t seem like a monumental task to find places for all the new things. well. you know. except for that 3D printer we gave ourselves as a family gift. once the gifts were all opened and trash was cleaned up, we spent the afternoon and evening playing with new toys and relaxing and doing nothing.
jasmine. 
nintendo labo vr set. 
shooting bad guys. 
printing all the things. 
hex bug mania!
for dinner, we had ourselves a merry little prime rib. sososo good. and kept it keto with brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower sides. and, even though it’s triangular prism shaped box has been giving me fits for weeks, we nearly forgot the butter tree, but remembered at the last second.
and then it was sleepy chillout time. even for ruby. christmas is hard on her.
and, covid christmas was over. i woke up the next morning, packed it all up, and started counting down until next year.
Great Christmas review! Glad that Swedish Christmas happened! It was so much fun for the elder Lidboms to have everyone at the house, even if not IN the house.