Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone..... we hope the holidays find you well. It's been pretty rough around here with Grammy being sick, but I'm sure things will get better. We're praying continually for her health and Grampy's strength.

It's gonna be a busy one t'day...... Dinny & I will be COOK COOK COOKING all day :-) This will be her 2nd year preparing Vigilia---or as my family calls it: 'Valea'. I've researched that darn tradition FOREVER and have come to the conclusion that we say it wrong.... imagine that. I grew up thinking perogis were 'pidoggies' and ravioli were 'rabbiola'. I guess there's an old world pronunciation of Vigilia-----Vilia. That would make sense.

At any rate, Vilia is a European 7 course meatless meal eaten on Christmas Eve. Ours consists of perogi, gnochi, smoked herring, pickled herring, kapusta, potica (sounds like pa-teetsa), and creamed corn or fruit. My family has celebrated Vilia since they came to this country (100 years ago). I don't EVER remember a Christmas without it.

Here's our Christmas Eve:
1.) Put up Christmas Tree (we bought a LIVE one this year---rootball and all)
2.) Cook the Vilia
3.) Eat the Vilia
4.) Go to Mass
5.) Throw the kids in bed
6.) Walk down to the barn & give the sheep holy bread..... then let the girls out of the breeder pens
7.) Go to sleep and wait for St. Nich (hahahaha)

Keep watching..... I'll be uploading pics and videos through the holidays !!

!!!!!!WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!