Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite holiday (although I know very, very few people who don't share the same sentiment).  In a household like mine, which moves around so much, we don't have as many traditions as other people (since we're in different places so frequently), but some things always stay the same: being with family.

Christmas has stretched the gamut in my family: when I was little and we lived in Germany, we never had extended family around for Christmas, but it was always lovely and cold.  From there we moved to lower Alabama, where there was never snow.  Fast forward to the year we all had the stomach flu and Christmas dinner wasn't more than chicken noodle soup.  Speed ahead again to us living in Hawaii and going to the beach on Christmas Eve and eating pineapple pancakes for breakfast.  Or the several Christmases that my father was away in other countries and it was just my mom and I.


Somehow though, it's never lost it's magic.

This year was no different.

On Christmas Eve we built a sugar cookie house (since none of us particularly care for gingerbread).  It was our first time and we were aiming for something adorable like this:

Apparently we aimed too high, however, and we ended up with one that collapsed moments after we built it:

We certainly won't be winning awards any time soon.  At least it tastes good, I suppose:)

Following the cookie house disaster, we went to midnight mass at a new Church.  I'm more than a little embarrassed to say that this is the last time I went to Church was in Austria (in *cough*2007*cough*cough).  It was a lovely service, and I'm sure we'll be back soon.

The next day was, of course, filled with lots of amazing presents:)

          The Abigail bedspread from the Vermont Country Store that I've been absolutely dreaming of for almost three years.

All the media I asked for: Rain by Somerset Maugham, The Iliad & The Odyssey, The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, A Vegan College Cookbook by PETA, and in the way of DVDs: a biography of Napoleon, The Hole, The Hangover, North and South, The White Ribbon, Season 1 of My Hero, and The Last Stand of the 300.  Moulin Rouge CD as well:)  

What has to be my favorite gift of all:  A vintage sapphire ring from the 1960s.

Pictures just don't do justice as to how vibrant it is in real life. 

I also got a dress that I'll show off later, since I can't find a picture of it online.  Packages from certain family members haven't arrived yet, so I may update later with those:)  

Of course what Christmas is complete without a huge delicious meal?

We had a Tofurky (which I will always love, sorry to the haters!), a small mountain of mashed potatoes (made by moi!), a green bean casserole (completely by scratch, again made by me), rosemary rolls (made by my lovely mother), and lots of desserts and Chardonnay to go with it.  

It was a spectacular meal, and almost completely from scratch.  It turns out that it's actually not that difficult to make a "Cream of..." soup.  Cream of Mushroom is surprisingly easy!  I used this recipe.

I hope everybody as fantastic of a holiday as I did!  

Until Next Time,

Ashley