That evening the eighteen of us celebrated Christmas at my house. My Grandma made an Egg Plant, Cheese Cake and a salad. Jena brought over Italian Bread. Mom and I made Stuffed Shells. Aunt Bug and her clan brought pizza from L&B and cookies from Michaels.
Let me pause and go off topic for a second. These two places are famous in Brooklyn. Michaels is a bakery known for their delicious brownies and mixed array of cookies. L&B has been around for seventy nine years. Long time I know. They are famous for their pizza being made with the cheese inside the dough and the sauce on top. If you are ever in Brooklyn, give it a try.
Okay, getting back on topic. we socialized for an hour before we gathered around the table for dinner. It was buffet style. With eighteen people, that makes it a whole lot easier. After we finished eating and cleaning up, everyone moved into the living room where we opened presents. I was the elf who announced who the present was for a from.
Every year my cousins and I, Mom and her three sisters do a secret Santa. Nobody knows who has who until the secret is reviled the day of the Christmas Party.
Henry had me as his Secret Santa. I had my cousin Renae as my Secret Santa. Every year it seems to work out perfectly. I got a DK Eyewitness Book on Paris, an Umbrella with the Eiffel Tower as the background and a big laminated map of Europe. The best gift ever was seeing my Brother Ryan
💜😍🤗!
By the way I was told I was a great Elf.
We al hustled back inside the kitchen for Tea/Coffee and Dessert. I just had Hagendaz ice cream with Irish Tea. Everyone else had Cookies, Cheese Cake and Ice cream with their tea and or coffee.
Sunday after Church, the day after the Christmas party, my parents, brother Brendan and I drove to the American Hotel in Freehold New Jersey. My Aunt bug was hosting a party to celebrate the Cooper and Lily's engagement. It was lots of fun.
Since my parents and I were going to Atlanta for Christmas, my brother Brendan and I opened our gifts from each other and our parents. From my brother, I got a blanket with flags on it and a LA Dodgers winter Hat. From my parents I got IRISH Cadbury Chocolate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Melt Down, Crusoe the Worldy Wiener Dog, Amazon Alexa Echo. Lovely gifts. Very blessed.
My Parents and I drove three and a half hours to Delaware to see my Cousins Diane, Patrick, Tim and Danny. Oh and their beautiful cat Winter.
When we arrived, I realised my suit case was not in the trunk, instead it was back home sitting on my bed.
It was my dad's birthday, so we went to the Long Horn Steak House for dinner. My Cousins bought my dad a Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake for dessert. Dinner was lovely, the cake was out of this world DELICIOUS! Dad ws surprised and happy at the same time.
It turned out I got a surprise Christmas present. Wasn't expecting anything. I got Vanilla Scented perfume, Reeese's and a book on flags around the world. Timmy and Danny loved their gift from us which was video game chairs. (They LOVE Fortnite)
Late that night we watched Home Alone. One of my favorite Christmas movies.
On Saturday, Timmy, Danny and I went over to Aunt Maureen's house to decorate Ginger Bread houses. My Aunt Maureen has three cats who are really friendly and beautiful. I had a lot of fun decorating and spending time with my family.
That same day, mom and I went to Kohls to get me some clothes to wear on our vacation and for work. I was successful. All very comfy clothes.
After we finished shopping, Cousin Pat made a delicious chicken with buttered pasta. We gathered on the couch and watched Elf. That's my all time favorite Christmas movie. I can watch that movie over and over and never get tired of it.
Sunday we got up early and packed up our stuff. Cousin Pat made us breakfast. He is an amazing cook. We took a group selfie by their Christmas tree and hugged. We were ready for the eleven hour hour trip to Georgia.
While we were in the car, I noticed the exit in Virginia that said, "Lynchburg" It brought back memories when my brother Ryan went to Liberty Univeristy. Oh and of course made me think of the day he graduated. GEEEZ I feel old 😱!!!!!!
Our first stop for dinner was in Greensboro North Carolina. We went to Cook Out. Cook Out has a over 40 different types of milkshakes and cheap affordable food. Lines are always out the door. That's how popular it is.
Many long hours later, we made it to Atlanta. Our hotel was beautiful. Very fancy in the lobby area. The fountain made it feel extra special.
On Monday, Christmas Eve, the three of us drove to Coca Cola World. That place was AMAZING! You got a free can of coke of your choice. So much to see and plenty of history to learn about. My favorite part was seeing my dad pull faces when he taste tested the different sodas around the world. The top nasty soda I tried was cucumber Sprite and Sprite Zero. Let's just stick to Coke AND Water. No need for these ridiculous nasty inventions.
For lunch we went to Chik-Fil-A. It was surprisingly crowded. I guess everyone had the same idea as us. But it was worth the wait because Chik-Fil-A is the bom digity dot com.
Since I forgot my suit case, mom and I had to go to JC Pennys. Luckily we found one in the clearance section. I usually avoid that section but I was desprate.
Christmas Eve dinner was at the famous Out Back. You wouldn't expect a lot opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas. You have to thank the people who give up their Christmas to serve you.
My favorite part of the Hotel was the Hot Tub. Oh my gosh, it was so relaxing. I was in heaven. It really does wonders for your muscles.
Christmas Day, we went to the Aquarium. It was surprisingly crowded. I guess its the place to go for Christmas. Who knew. *SHRUG* Lots of sea creatures to see. Mom and I got splashed by the Doliphins at the Doliphin shows. As unpleasant as getting wet is, a memory was made and will be remembered for a life time. My favorite animal is Puffins. They are ADORABLE. Of course who doesn't love penguins. The moving floor was really cool. Made it easier to see all sea creatures and capture them on your phone.
Christmas Dinner was at Golden Corral. Took thirty minutes to get inside. Its a popular place. Buffet style. I love their turkey and gravy. *mouth watering* Despite the long wait, it was worth it.
Our last day in Atlanta took place at Stone Mountain Park. A mountain with a beautiful view of Atlanta. Lots to do at the Park. From Snow tubing to hiking, to train rides around the mountain, and just relaxing. My favorite part of Stone Mountain was the Train ride. We got to sing Christmas songs as we rode around the mountain. That was a lot of fun.
A long drive to Greensboro North Carolina from Atlanta. We were staying overnight so we didn't have to long of a drive home. *Whispers* don't worry it still felt long. *laughs* We went to my favorite resturant for Dinner. CHILIS!!!! The service was awesome.
To say Atlanta was fun would be a lie. To say Atlanta was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious would describe the trip perfectly!
