Every muscle in my body aches & is screaming at me to go back to bed. Christmas is a marathon. Marathons are always hard, but when one of my two main supports (yes, my ankle, I will not stop whining LOL) is weakened? Marathons are almost impossible.

This year we even cut down drastically on gifts, cooking, entertaining. All the things that make Christmas a marathon. Still, even with my workload cut almost in half, it has almost felled me. I’m ready to run back upstairs, crawl under the covers, and finish the Die Hard chronicles. Dave, Tess, Dane & I watched the original, official Christmas movie Die Hard on Christmas Eve after our guests left. Puppy-piled on our bed, relaxed & happy. I need a little more relaxing.

Christmas itself was wonderful. We got up after 10, either Dane was worn out by Die Hard or he’s a very mature 11. Presents were opened calmly & happily and then played with while I finished cooking our contributions to the group feast. This year our friends Carin & Greg invited us, and 30 more of their nearest & dearest, to a Christmas pig roast!

Carin & Greg are blessed by an amazing, huge (pool-in-the-basement huge) house. There is plenty of room for their entire collection of friends & family. For all of us the hardest part of being stationed overseas are holidays. We all miss our families. In fact, at any given moment, all of Christmas, someone, somewhere in the house, was on the phone or Skype with loved ones in the states or deployed. Carin & Greg make us feel like family. It is like having a little bit of home right here in Germany.

Greg roasted a beautiful suckling pig to perfection in his big smoker. I stood by the fire while he unveiled his masterpiece, the smells were out of this world. I almost rushed over to grab a nibble there & then. But I didn’t. I did take way too many photo’s LOL! My eyes were truly leading my stomach. When I finally did grab a bite, right off the serving tray with my fingers, I’m a horrible guest, my tastebuds melted.

The say you should never name your food, but Babe was out-of-this-world delicious.

Happy Tess & My Hero Academia books from Oma

Dane patiently waiting to strike on the next present

Tess & Dane both got Pokeballs! I want one!

The star of our Christmas dinner.. .Greg & Babe!

Babe turned out so perfect, he deserved a kiss.

pièce de résistance

Our new modern manger, with the left overs of the old

My giraffe ornament ❤

My giraffe Christmas cookies

Babe & Greg ❤