Oh, How I Miss it All!

Most people, I assume, are relieved to have the Christmas holidays over. Not I. It's the happiest time of the year and I so miss the magic! But at least I always have it to look forward to next year, yes? Two days before Christmas, my parents and Jerald and I attended an organ recital featuring the acclaimed Richard Elliot at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. Afterwards we ate a festive lunch at the Lion House and a fellow diner snapped this photo of us.

My parents paused for a pose outside the Lion House.

...and we two too!

Siegfried's Delicatessen! The best German restaurant in Salt Lake! My dad and I venture there every year on Christmas Eve morning to order bratwurst, cheese, German Salami, and more. We always have a traditional German meal on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Wise choices!

After our trip to Siegfrieds, we went to London Market to stock up on some ambrosial imported English chocolate. I see no earthly reason to explain our actions in this regard because British chocolate never requires an explanation or justification, does it?

When we arrived home it was time to frost and decorate Christmas cookies!

Christmas Eve dinner! We feasted on German style Rouladen, which is steak pounded very thinly and rolled up with crumbled bacon, German mustard, and herbs and spices inside, and then simmered in gravy until it's mouthwateringly tender. To accompany such a celestial main dish was spaetzle, which are German style noodles, and German red cabbage, potatoes, peas with browned butter and almonds, chocolate silk pie and peppermint stick ice cream pie. And that's a merry Christmas!!!

Summer was allowed to open two presents on Christmas Eve...

...and welcomed a new Minnie Mouse to join the family! Summer enthusiastically asked if Minnie could sleep in her bed, declaring that Mickey Mouse would love her!

So Minnie made her way into Summer's crib that night and joined Mickey and the others. Summer wore her new Minnie Mouse Christmas jammies. I stood at the foot of her bed for many minutes just watching her sleep, and feeling so excited for Christmas morning! There's nothing like seeing Christmas through a child's eyes, is there?



Morning did come and Summer couldn't wait to open her presents! Here she is at the top of the stairs, ready to rush down!




After all the presents were opened and fawned over, we hurried over to Jerald's parents' house to continue celebrating with them, before coming back home to welcome all of my family to eat more German fare!

The day after Christmas, we attended a family party with Jerald's extended family!

And what better way to ring in the new year that with beef lo mein at Joy Luck Chinese restaurant? We went for an early dinner on New Year's Eve and took our Uncle Wayne along, who also wisely has a deep testimony of Oriental food.

We hope your holiday season was wonderful too! Hopefully the next eleven months will fly by so the holiday season of celebratory events can start all over again!

Christmas Week!

The Sunday before Christmas, my parents and Jerald and I attended a broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City. Below is a picture of the conference center and the choir. What a glorious experience! The music was heaven sent.

It was cold and foggy that day! Gorgeous shot of the Salt Lake temple across the street, though, right? Right.

And just look at these iced roses! Uncle Nate and Aunt Cindy tended Summer while we went to the broadcast. This rose bush is in their front yard and we couldn't resist capturing its frosty blossoms and leaves.

And now, you may all begin preparations to die a death of shocking shock when I inform you that our little Summer actually snapped this photo of birds in flight in Nate and Cindy's back yard! Can you believe it? Three years old! I know! Seriously! Totally.

When we arrived home after the broadcast, we presented Summer with her brand new Christmas dress that she could wear to church that day. Every little princess needs a holiday gown, correct? She couldn't wait to try it on! Especially with new "Dorothy" shoes to match. She also received custom made bows made by her Aunt Steph, and a snowy white faux fur coat to complete the ensemble.

She looked hot!

After church, we zipped over to Jerald's parents' house for their family dinner/Christmas party. Summer proudly showed everyone her new dress!

Each grandchild received some Christmas jammies from grandma and grandpa.

And of course, Santa Claus paid a visit after dinner and pulled presents out of his enormous bag for each and everyone. Summer did not like him. No. He was a nice Santa, naturally, but a bit too Holly Jolly for Summer's liking. She just wanted him to hush and shush. No lap-sitting for THIS red and white creature! But when he called her name, she graciously put her feelings of distaste aside to receive her present.

Ah, but when we visited a Santa Claus at Layton Hills Mall a day or two later, Summer decided she liked him MUCH better. He was gentle, quiet, and sweet with her. She couldn't wait for him to come on Christmas Eve!

...And he most definitely paid a visit to Summer's house on Christmas Eve. We'll include pictures and documentation of it in our next post. It was a wonderful Christmas!

The Christmas Season

We took so many pictures of our holly jolly times during the Christmas season, that we feel compelled to split them up into several posts, so as to avoid forcing our readers to scroll on and on as we droll on and on.


We kicked off the Christmas season with gingerbread cookie baking on the day after Thanksgiving!


That evening, we decorated our Christmas tree! It's a false one, but we lit a pine-scented candle for dramatic effect. I have to add that we had a devil of a time trying to arrange that gold garland thing! We got it wrapped around the whole tree, stepped back to look at it, but saw that it was crooked in certain spots. Well, the perfectionists in us all could not abide such an abomination, so we tried to fix it, but the tree's needles kept shredding up the garland's tinsel as we pulled it out to re-arrange it. We never got it to look right after three ghastly times of taking it off and putting it back on. The real joy of the Christmas spirit filled our hearts when we ripped it off for the final time...and threw it with satisfying force back into the box. Maybe we'll try the garland again next year. And maybe not. Most likely not. Definitely not.

A few days later, we went Christmas caroling with Jerald's family at a nearby rest home. Jerald's dad played his accordion to accompany us all, and I became misty-eyed when I saw how much it meant to those sweet elderly people to have us sing and make a fuss over them. One gentleman cried grateful tears and said how much he had needed this. Another awesome old guy held on to his walker and danced a little jig as we sang. He received well-deserved cheers from his audience! Anyway, it's a tradition we do every year and I sure hope it continues.

One Friday night in December, we all bundled up and drove into Salt Lake to see the lights at temple square. This is another tradition we refuse to part with due to its extreme fun. We snapped this shot of Summer before we left because...how could we not? Too cute for words in all of her pink glory...

The glacial wind was biting, bitter, and brisk, but we snuggled lots to stay warm. It was all so beautiful!

I thought I'd end this particular post with "Pink on Pink" Summer. She'd warm up any December day being the little hottie she is!