Hello Monday… Wait, MONDAY?? Has Christmas really already come and gone?! SO crazy! I hope that you enjoyed this special holiday with some special family, friends, fun times and festive foods. It flew by, but fortunately I took a couple pictures to help me remember the moments. Check out some of the memories I’ve made this  season! 

Every Christmas my family celebrates the “Eve of the Eve” on the night before Christmas Eve. It’s our own special tradition that guarantees we spend some quality time together all by ourselves. Growing up we always spend Christmas Eve at one grandparents’ house and then we travel to the other grandparents on Christmas Day. We love seeing them and all my cousins, but Eve of the Eve is just for us. We each open one present… “the first gift of Christmas” and we share a lovely meal together. 

Don’t you just love the Nutcracker Ballet? The music is classic, the costumes are gorgeous, the dancing is graceful (and those ballerinas make it look so easy!) This is another one of our special traditions. My dad is always first in line to get good seats at the best deal. 

We woke up to pretty packages under the tree and practical presents like toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, and dehydrated fruit snacks in our stockings. My dad still videotapes us unwrapping the gifts. We don’t actually watch the videos, but who knows? Maybe we’ll want to someday. It was great to spend time with Dad and Mum, my brother (Jared) and my sister-in-law (Allie).

Allie got me the sweetest bracelet to add to my Alex and Ani collection, a lovely journal to record my thoughts, and the softest pair of socks ever! (Another great benefit of having a married brother?… A sister who knows me too well.)

Christmas afternoon was SO beautiful! It was 71 degrees and sunny. I decided to take advantage of the weather and go for a walk at my local park. Sitting and talking, sitting and eating, sitting and relaxing… it was definitely time for a walk!

Another fun tradition is Chinese food for dinner at my grandparents. This year my auntie brought some tasty Thai food, as well. My colorful plate was gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and totally yummy!

Speaking of Thai food, I finally got my whole family to join me at my favorite Asian restaurant for some fabulous “Pho.” If you haven’t ever tried this Vietnamese broth soup with rice noodles, chicken, cilantro, green onions and bean sprouts, TRY IT! The place looks like a little ‘hole in the wall’ (and it is) but the food is authentic, fresh and delicious!!

Well, that’s about it! I guess Christmas 2015 really has come and gone, but the moments and memories live on. Merry Merry!!!