Henry joins his parents in the dining room, where Jamie holds his sleeping son cradled against his chest while he eats.
“We’re going to need another highchair before long,” I say as I watch Jamie gently rock Henry in his arms.
“Elly told me she already has one on order,” Molly says.
There’s a bountiful spread on the buffet table. There are warm platters of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and buttered toast, along with pancakes. The coffee is flowing freely.
After we’re done eating, we head back to the kitchen to wash all the sticky little hands and faces and put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.
Afterward, we all gather in the great room to visit. George adds more wood to the fireplace. Lia turns on the sound system, not too loud, but enough to fill the big space with quiet notes of familiar Christmas songs. Then she sits on Jonah’s lap and closes her eyes.
I walk over to where Elly and George are sitting together on a small sofa and lean down to hug them both. “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank you for taking such good care of us and this home.”
Elly turns tear-filled eyes to me. “You don’t need to thank us. It’s our pleasure. But, still, you’re welcome, sweetie.”
Shane joins me, discreetly handing Elly an envelope. “Merry Christmas to the both of you, from the McIntyres.”
Just as he does every year, Shane tucked a sizable check into a holiday card to thank them for everything they do for us.
Jake takes a look out the back windows at the clear blue sky and announces, “Who wants to go outside to play in the snow?”
Luke and Aiden both jump to their feet. “We do!” they yell in unison.
Shane and Jake help the boys get back into their winter gear, and outside they go, accompanied by a number of aunts and uncles. We end up with a backyard filled with snow people of all sizes and shapes.
A major snowball fight ensues, of course. There’s no way the McIntyre siblings can get together in the snow without the event devolving into a snowball fight. Lia, Jonah, Liam, Jasmine, Hannah, and Killian get in on the action. Even Jamie joins in, along with Calum and George.
The moms and grandmas are content to stay inside and sip hot chocolate in front of the roaring fireplace while the little girls play with their new Christmas gifts.
I catch my mom’s eye, and she smiles at me. I think she loves being part of this big family as much as I do. When I was growing up, it was just the two of us, since my big brother Tyler was already grown and out of the house. Now we’re surrounded by family and now children, and we love it.
* * *
When the sun begins to set, all the revelers come inside to dry off and warm up.
Soon after, we have an evening meal of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted veggies, and homemade dinner rolls.
In our post-dinner coma, we gather downstairs in the movie theater to watch our favorite old-school Christmas cartoons—Rudolph, the Red-Nosed ReindeerandFrosty the Snowman. I think the parents get the biggest kick of all just observing theirkids watching the same holiday movies we loved when we were their ages.
After a long day, everyone retires for the night. Morning will be here too soon, and then it’ll be time for us to pack up and head home.
There will be lots of tearful good-byes in the morning, lots of hugs, and then we’ll all depart for our respective homes, which ironically are located in the same gated community. Fortunately, Hannah and Killian will be staying a few more days at Bridget and Calum’s house.
It’s the perfect way to end the perfect family holiday.
* * *
