I sat at the dinning table watching the faces of my family. There was laughter. We had already eaten our meal and yet we stayed, not normal for our family. We passed the glass bowl of questions around the table, some being serious with their answers and others being as shocking or as sarcastic as possible but all being funny. I savored this moment, smiling because this was possibly my favorite.

Earlier I had been a little sad, we had invited people over and no one could come. John's Dad wasn't feeling well, then the people from work had other plans. I wanted our house to be a gathering place, a place for people to come to and find a relaxed atmosphere. I have cooked for my family often and thought why bother since no else is coming. The kids however begged for stuffing and potatoes and turkey. I bought a couple of pies, a turkey breast and decided to call it good. I kept it simple but provided all the requests.  It was a day of sweat shirts, naps, hanging Christmas lights, laughter and conversation.  It was what I wanted, relaxed - hyggelit.