Merry Christmas!

Ok, so all that paranoia about the "Spooky Package" was completely for naught. Turns out that all my suspicion about some other blogging lady who was jealous about how freaking cool my blog is, and was trying to poison me was just that: paranoia.  The reality is that my dear father ordered it for me.  They

re curry leaves and seeds so I can grow it myself.  Why? Well, Jake loves cooking with curry leaf, it's really hard to find, and it became a running joke while dad was here that whatever we were eating wasn't perfect because we didn't have curry leaf...well, apparently, Dad did some research and found some guy in Kingston, NY who grows curry leaf.  SOOOOOOO that's the origins of my supposed stalker.  Simply dad trying to follow up for the ultimate punch line....it worked, Dad, it worked!

As far as Christmas goes...aside from telling you that you HAVE TO -- I mean HAVE TO -- try my gingerbread coconut cheesecake...I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

this was something I thought of in the middle of the night...it was so yummy

 

Spooky Packages, Spectacular Parties, and Super Presents

Ok, let's just get this out of the way.  Today I received a package via USPS that came from an unreadable return address in Kingston, NY.  I know NO ONE from Kingston, and have no idea why that someone would send me anything, especially unidentified berries and a sprig of leaves.  If anyone can shed some light on this mysterious package, it would be greatly appreciated.

On a lighter note, our friends Minou and Steve hosted a fantastic dinner party at their house in Camas, Washington...really, they blew my socks off.  The house in itself is outstandingly beautiful, and the dinner was downright impressive.  Minou cooked her hot little ass off - serving prime rib, ham, potatoes, veggies, a delicious salad, and dessert that was to die for.  A great time was had by all - and if EG hadn't hit her limit on staying up past her bed time, I have a feeling we would have stayed longer!  We met some awesome new friends, and are happy to have been included in a great night!  The batteries on my flash were dying, so good shots were hard to come by!

Jeffrey and Amy catching up

EG loved the red leather couch!

Their tree

I so wish the flash had worked on these shots

Genuinely happy

Ellie's favorite feature of the house?  The indoor water fountain/pool.  Every time I turned around she was saying, "Agua?" Daddy played with her for a while...

Through the stairs...what a doll

Once we got home and got EG to bed, it was Santa time!  Jake had arrived while we were gone, and he and Jeffrey got to work putting together Ellie's roller coaster...mmmmhmmmm. She's only 18 months old, and her father got her a roller coaster.  Gotta love that! Honestly, it's freaking AWESOME!

Daddy taking a ride

Crouched for speed - but he didn't make it once he hit the carpet!

I finished up all the the preparations for tomorrow, setting the lunch and breakfast areas up, prepping food so that I can spend the minimal amount of time in the kitchen, and making a gingerbread coconut cheesecake (we'll see how it comes out...I don't always have the best results when I try to make something I've only imagined). 

The cinnamon-coconut dessert sauce for drizzling over the coconut milk cheesecake

 I can hardly wait for tomorrow and Ellie Graye's first Christmas where she can actually play and have fun! Come on, Santa! Hurry up!!!!!

Christmas Dinner #2

I can't believe we've already had two Christmas dinners, and it's only the 23rd!  Tonight's dinner was extra special for me...all I had to do was show up!  That was more of a treat than I thought it would be.  It was such a breath of fresh air.  It feels like Christmas, for sure.

Mom and Ed prepared an awesome spread - Ed cooked a turkey and all the trimmings, and mom made the house look spectacular.  The table was beautiful, and she made our favorite little caprese appetizers that she discovered right here at Deer Park Farms.  I brought along my latest concoction: Christmasy Cranberry Cocktail Mixer and mixed it with DPF's Plain Apple Vodka.  It's definitely going down as one of my favorite all time Holiday Cocktails.

Rose (Ed's youngest daughter, therefore my sister) arrived from the East Coast today, but it was Hannah (my oldest sister) and Sydney's last night here, so it was nice to hang out and enjoy being all together.  I hadn't seen Rose since Christmas of 2006, and her 21st birthday is this weekend! The boys are going to take her out on the town!

Ellie Graye can't get enough of her cousin, so the two of them were pretty inseparable even though they had spent most of the afternoon and evening together.

She's so in love with her cousin

Sharing her special blanket with the baby

Giving love to Baby Sydney

Colin showed up after dinner, and provided the entertainment while Jay-Jee (EG's name for Uncle Jake) helped out with the kiddos.

the best picture of uncle and niece

Colin doing his modern dance ribbon routine...

....while EG watches in disbelief

He really hasn't grown up at all!

We opened the gifts that Hannah had brought, and she opened hers and Sydney's.  It was definitely family hanging out - not always smooth, but certainly lots of love.

Three generations

Helping deliver presents

Leaving a present of her own...

Thanks, Mom and Ed, for all the effort, the delicious food, the beautiful house, and an all-around great night!

RANDOM PHOTOS OF THE DAY