Lots of Christmas!

Happy In-Between Week! I hope your holidays have been as full of fun as ours. There was baking, a road trip, a visit to Rick's ancestors' final resting places, fun with little grands, music, merriment -- and an epic fail in the dessert line! Grab your tea and a Christmas cookie and settle in!

My house was decorated, literally one step at a time as I slowly brought up things from downstairs step by step due to a challenging back problem. 

But I couldn't resist bringing up as much as possible. These are the things of memories. I want to use them all -- or as much as possible -- before the inevitable downsizing. 

Then it was time to put up Rick's trees! He gave up the big tree last year but this trio looks perfect for his home!

But before all that, the baking! Diana's Fudge, Anno's nuts, the Santa Madeleines, Jingle Balls, shortbreads and Marie's Lemon-iced Gingerbread Bars.

We started our holiday early, with a visit from our friend Jerry, a Detroit-area native who now lives in Paris. The visits are always too short -- and but like family coming home.

 

Our actual family holiday began in a most festive manner! Thanks to a generous gift from a dear friend who sent us money for a lovely dinner out, we started our journey to the kids' house near Detroit with a stop at a favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor called Paesano's. It was a delicious start! Then it was off to the Detroit airport to pick up Rick's mom.

The kids were already at school by the time we got up the next day, so Rick, his mom and I took a road trip through the ancestral graveyards in Detroit, seeing many of the graves of Kitty's grandparents and great grandparents.

We went to two cemeteries (well, three -- one was the wrong one!).

The oldest dated back into Civil War days! This would be Rick's fifth great grandmother, who was born in Dublin and died in Detroit in 1863.

And then, the boys came home from school and a few hours later, the snow came! Or rather, the rain that froze came, followed by a bit of snow. We were cozy inside!

 The next day was just fun -- time to enjoy each other and the kids, too. Here are a few favorite moments, with captions under the photos.

We've been decorating cookies on Christmas Eve since Greg and Kevin were small. Now we have new decorators!

Rick and Kevin putting together a Lego car the boys got from an earlier Family Christmas. Don't let the label fool you. A six-year-old cannot put this together.

A boy and his cookie. Like his dad decades before, Cam's goal is to cram as much frosting and sprinkles on a single cookie as possible!

Rick's mom, Kitty, came from Texas. We were glad she had a warm coat with her!

Our family (minus Greg, who couldn't travel because of weather). Almost everyone is smiling -- I think a younger brother may have been the cause of the teary face!

We did our Christmas with the Kids on Christmas Eve morning.

Rick and the boys on "Christmas Morning."

A gift for mom!

 

Even Waffles was in awe!

After breakfast, we hit the road for home. Our hour-long trip took almost two -- and the roads were nasty. (And better than the day before!)

And yes, we returned home to a White Christmas!

Each year for the past three years, Rick and I do a main dish representing a different country for Christmas Eve dinner -- something we've never made before. In the past we did a Quebecois tourtiere and a Feast of Seven Fishes pie. This year it was Chicken Kiev, representing Ukraine.  I made a small centerpiece using my Matryoshka dolls, which was perfect for the feast!

We were joined by Rick's music partner, Josh, for dinner. 

After dinner, we had a little music! These guys are getting good -- I should have recorded it!

Christmas Day we were at both his house and mine for morning presents  and dinner. It was just Rick, his mom and me, and a lovely, relaxing day. 

As always, I used my mom's Spode "Christmas Tree," her Fostoria "Mulberry" goblets and a wonderful vintage tablecloth. (Thank you, Rita!) 

And of course, we had Christmas crackers!

It was all delicious .... Except for.... Dessert. 

Kitty is diabetic so I thought I'd make a berry Pavlova using Splenda and sugar free Cool Whip instead of sugar in the meringue and sweetened whipped cream. Don't. 

The Cool Whip was great. The meringue was an epic fail. Despite the fact you can use it one-for-one, it just doesn't bake up right and it was very grainy. I didn't even take a photo, it was that bad! (They ate it and had seconds. I tried it and threw out the leftovers!)

On Monday we met up with Rick's brother and his wife so Kitty could spend some time with them. As I write this, we're in an R&R period! My goal for this week to to begin to reclaim the kitchen from the mess I left it in! I think we had a bit too much Fa La La.

I send you all good wishes for a lovely and peaceful time between the holidays. Although the new year begins on the first, I think of the holidays as extending through Twelfth Night on January 6. That said, I think the house will have vestiges of Christmas until Spring Equinox!

All is calm -- or getting there!

Cheers!

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