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!