And that's not all

The holiday season was only about halfway over after all the stuff I've blogged about so far took place.

We proudly watched Sadie participate in her school's holiday program.  Big difference from last year when she hid in my lap with her eyes closed for most of it...

We had our annual solstice celebration...just the three of us.  Chinese takeout, Christmas movies, and a simple gift exchange.

We hosted the annual bookclub party for my girlfriends and their husbands.

 

We went to Nebraska to see the Peterson clan and celebrated Christmas with them.  I love my husband's extended family and am so thankful that we were able to be with four generations of Petersons. 

We spent a night and a day with my parents partaking in all the Ingersoll family traditions (crepes, lox and bagels, Christmas movies, Christmas music, a LONG DRAWN OUT gift exchange, naps and reading while we get ready for a big, delicious dinner, a discussion of all that we're thankful for, four big dogs running around, hot tubbing with Sadie, and canasta).  I love our celebration...

and then it was New Years Eve!  We kept it close to home and about family this year.  My brother and his wife, our neighbors, and another couple of friends joined us at home for a big dinner, games, drinks, and lots of laughing.  Sadie stayed up late and insisted on putting herself to bed.  O.k.!

And now this big, beautiful holiday season has run its course.  Oh it was so good.  I am so grateful for all the beauty and love and good fortune in my life.  Absolutely reveling in it right now after all the celebrations we've had in the past couple months.

Tea Time

Our annual afternoon tea at the historic Brown Palace hotel in downtown Denver was a perfect and gorgeous as always.  I am so, so grateful that my mother treats us to this special outing every year around the holidays.  And it's such a joy to have a little girl in a fancy dress with us!  Her favorite part was her new best friend, the piano player, Jon.  She spent most of the time sitting on the floor next to the grand piano requesting Christmas carols and dancing along to them. 

Pajamas and Cocktails

 

New tradition from here on out.  Every. Single. Year.  No matter where we live or what we're doing with ourselves...holiday pajama breakfast with our neighbors. 

The components that made this so fun and festive for me included:  it was a potluck (I didn't have to do too much cooking);  the fact that we WORE OUR PAJAMAS! (ie:  all I had to do was brush my teeth and I was ready); the beverages (mexican coffee = coffee + kaluah + tequila!, bloody marys, mimosas, etc...); the food; a fancy hot chocolate bar for the kiddos; a spontaneous pick; and most importantly, the neighbors.  I love love love love love my neighbors.  I don't know how I got so lucky to land smack-dab in the middle of a typical boring American-suburban-sprawl neighborhood and find these lovely friends.  But drinking with them at 10 a.m while the classic claymation Rudolph movie plays in the background and our kids and dogs run around in the kitchen in their p.j.s...that's pretty much the most fun thing ever.  Really. 

Dinner and Love

It was so much fun for us to host Christmas dinner for my husband's family this year.  I LOVE any excuse to use my pretty dishes and to spend a day or two cooking a special dinner for the people I love.  



We spent the day together enjoying the company, some delicious food, and a lovely and generous gift exchange.  My gorgeous and adorable nephew Elias was a trooper on his first Christmas...enjoying the wrapping paper, bubble wrap, and cardboard boxes as any one-year-old should!

Cranberry Rosemary Spread

Dinner included turkey and a delicious turkey gravy, our favorite cracker stuffing made by my mother-in-law, sinfully delicious sweet potato casserole from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, parmesan garlic knots, whiskey glazed carrots, and roasted brussels sprouts with BACON.  And an entire dish of cranberry sauce all to myself....

 And a delicious cake I chose just for my pecan-pie-loving husband: Pecan Pie Cake with a Cinnamon Whipped Cream Custard Frosting. YUMMMM.....