Valerie and I were home last weekend and helped Mom put the tree up. Caroline, however, did not finish her exams until Wednesday, so Valerie and I drove to Ann Arbor on Sunday to have breakfast with her at Angelo's. I had some spectacular pumpkin pancakes with real maple syrup! As a half-blooded Canadian, I appreciate honest-to-goodness maple syrup. Sorry, but Mrs. Butterworth's doesn't quite compare.
This break has been great for simply hanging out and relaxing, and Monday night was another testament to that. Our high school friends Sarah, Sophie, and Melissa came over for the night, and we talked nonstop, ate nachos, decorated Christmas cookies and a gingerbread house, and watched the infamous Elf movie. I. Love. That. Movie. It is a holiday classic in this household; we watched it again last night. There is nothing quite like Buddy's antics when you need a good laugh!
Once Caroline came home, we went into full Christmas mode--now we could really have fun! To welcome her home, we made Pumpkin Pasta, a recipe from her best friend Madeline's blog. It turned out quite deliciously, but, unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture. One of my favorite parts of being home is the ability to cook my own food. There is an intangible sense of satisfaction that accompanies the completion of a home cooked meal.
Reindeer games are probably my other favorite part of spending time at home during the holiday season. Of course, these games are fun any time during the year, but December is the only time it is socially acceptable to refer to them as reindeer games. This year's favorites include Bananagrams, Boggle, and Scrabble (Can you see a theme here?). Monopoly is on the list to get played within the next week--we always played it with Pop-Pop, but have not played it much since then. Man, I miss him. It isn't the same at the holidays without grandparents. There is something special that that generation brings to the season that is missing. Last week we went to Finley's for lunch, another thing we used to do with Grandma and Pop-Pop when they lived in Battle Creek. Memories flooded back from the days when we used to go every Tuesday night for the "Kids Eat Free" special. What a deal!
Friday afternoon Aunt Kristi, her mother, Natalie, and Nathan drove down from Muskegon for a visit. I haven't seen them since August, so it was delightful. We went to Binder Park Zoo for the Zoo Lights, which is Christmas decorations every holiday season. Some of the animals are out to play, but not that many unfortunately. However, there were some great pictures!
Eight of us! (Uncle Mark is missing)
The lights near the snow leopards
Peacock!
Giraffes
Christmas Ant
Christmas Eve and Christmas were very laid back. Mom mentioned that we were in a somewhat "sweet spot" in life. It was just the five of us for the holidays. No grandparents, grandchildren, significant others, or other family members to work around for the day. So, we did what we wanted, when we wanted, how we wanted. Thus, we went to the 7pm Mass for Christmas Eve rather than the 5pm children's Mass or the midnight vigil, which has been the past several Christmases' choice. Unfortunately one of our favorite pastors, Father Bob, was transferred to another parish earlier this fall, so the service was not quite as lively. However, the church was beautiful, and the song selection was joyful, as it always is at the Christmas Eve service. We came home and fixed Dad's infamous tortellini and clam soup. It is very similar to this recipe, but not quite; I think the recipe was from a magazine printed before Canadian Living added an online component to their magazine.
Christmas morning, like Christmas Eve, was very informal, and we just enjoyed one another's company. I prepared a Crock-Pot egg bake the night before, so we just had to plug it in that morning, and three hours later a hot, yummy casserole was waiting for us. I am certainly getting a Crock-Pot once I have my own apartment. They are miracle workers! Mom made some awesome pumpkin-oat muffins as well. They are my absolute favorite muffins. I have already put in a request to have some baked to take back with me to Pittsburgh. I am switching meal plans at the semester so I will have breakfast on my own. Some home baked muffins would be a great way to start the day!
I received many Pitt items for Christmas this year--Mom was very creative. She made me (as well as Valerie and Caroline for their respective schools) a fleece blanket with Pitt fabric she found at a JoAnn Fabrics in Pittsburgh. It is the warmest! With that and the flannel comfort quilt she made me two Christmases ago, I will never be cold. I love those two blankets like there is nothing in the world that could make me happier. Knowing they are made with so much love is almost as good as being home and sharing the blankets with Mom.
Look for another post to come shortly!
No comments:
Post a Comment