First Christmas Eve in London.  Same trio as in recent years but without the familiar setting and trappings of home.  We didn’t try to reinvent our traditions (raclette!).  Instead we did what made sense in London:  take-away Indian food!

After dinner we sat around the table talking far longer than it made sense to sit in the most uncomfortable chairs in the house.  So then we moved to the living room and continued the conversation around the glowing, spinning Nativity scene of the German-made pyramid that I bought earlier in the week in Luxembourg.

It was a cozy way to spend the evening.  When Amanda’s jet lag finally caught up with her eyelids (at the valiant hour of 11pm!), we read Luke 2 (possibly with a variety of British accents) and discussed what we thought it meant for Mary to “treasure these things up in her heart”.

And on that note, we bid everyone merry Christmas — and good night.

[Don’t be put off by the video appearance.  It will play right-side up.]