Apparently, the last part of November and all of December came and went pretty quickly. Between starting a new job and the holidays, I was pretty darn busy.
So, what was I up to? Observe!
Ok, this isn't really an activity, but can you believe the flipping color of this tree?!
Of course, the DG was absolutely stunning at the end of fall.
DG Tree Lighting Ceremony
Every year, the DG has a tree lighting ceremony downtown. It's pretty cheesy, with boy/girl scouts singing Christmas carols and the local HS band marching around, but I absolutely adore it. And by adore, I mean that I prance around saying "Christmas Tree! Christmas Tree!" repeatedly while my poor husband walks by my side to see the whole event.
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| See? Scary eyes = extreme happiness |
Hot Pot Night!
Every month, the girls and I get together for a "girl's night." Usually, it consists of a visit to The Melting Pot for Ladies Night(hollahhh cheap cheese and chocolate fondue!), but this time, we decided to take a culinary adventure into Chinese Hot Pot. (Well, for myself and Cheryl, anyway. Sandy happens to be Chinese and Mrs. Chen happens to be married into a Taiwanese family, so this was nothing new for them.)
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| Don't ask what all this stuff is, because I honestly have no idea. |
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| Note to self: Do not attempt to make peanut sauce without a recipe |
The verdict? It was pretty good...but the sauce using raw eggs and the fish balls still freak me out a bit...
Pin's Christmas Open House
I'm not gonna lie - my sister knows how to throw a beautiful party. She thought of everything, down to a hot chocolate bar with assorted toppings. As usual, everything was beyond pretty and sparkled galore. I just wish I would have taken more pictures!
Christmas in Penfield
Every year on Christmas Eve, we travel down to Penfield to Hubs' Grandma's house. This year, there was added excitement due to the arrival of beautiful little Olivia. And the fact that Hubs got a remote control tank that shoots plastic pellets.
Don't ask.
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| Early birthday celebration #1 - Patti! |
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| Early birthday celebration #1 - Hubs! |
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| Anastasia and Uncle Paul |
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| Jake's new hunting gear |
Christmas in the DG
As if we hadn't celebrated enough, we had a beautiful meal at our place to celebrate Christmas. Braddy's parents even came!
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| The ornament my sisters and mom have from a few years back |
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| Sinterklaas! (Dutch Santa) |
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| Mom's zucchini relish as the star of the relish plate |
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| The most fitting present? The chef's coat, hat, and apron given to him by his parents. He looked adorbs. |
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| Crown roast of pork. 'Cause that's how we roll. |
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| The chef proudly displaying his masterpiece |
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| Shrimp cocktail with homemade cocktail sauce |
Jackson's 4th Birthday
I. cannot. believe. Jackson is 4 already. Seriously, where has the time gone?!
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| Face Time with the Seattle crew (J's little cousins) |
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| "Spin me!" |
Also not pictured? Patti's birthday (forgot camera), Christmas Party with the Denny's (forgot camera), and New Year's Eve (nothing too special compared to what the rest of the fam had going on).
I. am. exhausted.
