Corvel Christmas Party

Last night was Rafa's annual Christmas Party.  This year it was at Meriweathers restaruant just a couple miles from us.  It was a gem of a little place.  They had the entire restaurant decked out in various decorated Christmas Trees, and candles aglow everywhere.  In the back they had a huge tall fire pit that you could sit around to eat.  The food was delicious and the environment superb.  We will defintely be back here and hopefully can bring our families when they visit.  Lovely little evening....

Couldn't quite get the fireplace shot!

Rafa trying to embarrass me in front of his friends!

It was a great night, hope to visit again soon!   http://www.meriwethersnw.com/

Zoo Lights!

Every year, the Sylvan Highlands Neighborhood is invited to a a cookie exchange and free entrance into the Zoo lights.  It is an opportunity for us to meet our neighbors and take part in enjoying what the Zoo has to offer, for free!  We decided to take Olimpia and Daniel with us, and while they aren't from our exact neighborhood, we heard we could invite a friend or two for free as well : )  It was a nice evening, but boy was it cold.  It was 23 F when we got back into our car.  No amount of layers or special clothing can curb that coldness, it goes straight to the bones.  While we enjoyed ourselves, we were glad to feel warmth again!

Gingerbread house was my favorite!

Christmas Carolers must have been freezing!

Rafa trying to embarrass me in front of my friends : - /

Yay!  I caught the inch worm as he "inched" by in the background : )

4th Annual Creative Cocktails

Every year I host a little soire, just for the ladies.  We drink Martini's, enjoy lots of yummy food, and then top the evening off by creating our very own Gingerbread Houses. It was a perfect evening to be surrounded by such great gals, chatting, laughing, and just enjoying a little bit of what the holidays have to offer : )

Table set!

Food set!

Martini's set!  Hey, where's the martinis?!?!? Oops, didn't get a pic, we drank them too fast they were THAT good!

Time to create our private little masterpieces!

Liza builds!

I see a little devil in Olimpia....

Amy wins for most focused!

Stacey works on her traditional little G-Bread house...

Pausing for a photo, of course!

Pretty Aims!  The poinsettia is perfect next to her : )

Marisa's Sun River master piece!  I want to stay here!

Pretty Liza : )

It may not look like, but what you see below is actually a success in Olimpia terms...LOL.  Just teasing Lil!

The little holiday love shack!

All the girls by the tree, thanks for a wonderful evening!

French Butter Creams

There is one single thing that reminds me of Christmas and my Grandma Kathy, French Butter Creams.  They are a simple little sugar cookie that Grams would always make at Christmas time.  But let me tell you, they aren't just any sugar cookie, they are THE sugar cookie!  Grams would always garnish with red and green sugar, just for the holiday spirit.  I actually don't remember eating them except this time of year, with the red and green.  I miss Grams so much, but just a winter afternoon baking these little guys, and I feel closer to her.

My mom made me a Scrapbook Cookbook of some of my Grams's recipes, here is the page from that book for French Butter Creams :

Little size, big taste : )

The Tree is Up!

Last night was Friday evening, and Rafa and I decided to get the tree and do some decorating.  And boy was it a perfectly cold evening, brrrr.  We set up everything except the outside; which Rafa is doing today.  I was totally exhausted by the end of the evening, who knew decorating could be such work!  This year we found the most beautiful Grand Fir, it is a mix between a Noble and a Douglas, which is perfect because it is the best of both worlds.  Of course the pictures never look as good in person, but enjoy!

Off to get the tree....

The battle, Rafa lost...

Simple, but nice...

The table prep for my girls party tomorrow night, although less girls are able to make it, so I may not need so large...

Happy Holidays!

Sunrise

Anyone who knows me, knows that I will wake up early, just to see the sunrise. I love them.  They make me feel so content, peaceful, and hopeful.  So I wrote a poem about one...

Look up and out
Do you see that sunrise on the horizon?
It is for you
The rays of a golden promise
Sing to you in this moment of despair
In a moment of reflection, you see the hope
Warm and calming hope
And when your eyes close
The warmth on your skin
Brings a slight, delicate smile to your lips
You open your eyes and look around
Only to see the despair
Everywhere.
That needs promise, hope, warmth
You understand.
With the smile perched upon your lips
You share.
You call a friend at the moment a single tear drops from her eye
Share a hug when it wasn’t expected
Kiss the rose that lies wilted in your garden
Smile to a stranger who didn’t have a friend on earth
It is then that you understand
The sunrise for you, was for all
And when the night falls down
And we wake to the clouds of the morn
We see in the distance
The golden promise of hope
And with the sun, we rise above.
Together.


Usually, I try and drag whoever is with me to view such a wonder, and usually I get a strong resistance and tired old grumpy noises. But for the below, my sweet husband woke up very early on a vacation to see this glorious sunrise with me. Even more perfect.

Thanksgiving Any Day of the Year

So no matter how late, how humble, or how exhausted (since coming home from a trip abroad), Rafa and I still found the energy and time to create a simple Thanksgiving dinner last night, just a few days late.  To accommodate Rafa's love for the Thanksgiving meal, and my passion for treatment of all animals, we purchased our first Free Range Turkey.  It took 4 grocery stores, a lot of research, and a few dollars more, but eventually I decided on which one to buy.  But the effort was all worth it; Rafa was happy and I felt good about my choice.  While I did not have any Turkey, I had enough calories for a lifetime from the mashed potatoes I made like my grandma Kathy used too.  Rafa loves them!  I am glad we found the motivation to have our little Thanksgiving dinner, no matter how late!  And just a side note, I actually think I found my lifelong Turkey (see photo)  : )))