Love's Pure Light

Christmas isn't over just yet, but it feels that way from where I sit.  My family's Christmas was as much loving fun as it could possibly have been.  I hope yours was too.  Here's how the tree looked prior to our ransacking it.

It is the custom in my family of origin to open our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve.  It's both a German and a Norwegian custom.  Mike came from a family that opened their presents on Christmas Day, and he insisted that we would do Christmas the "right" way when we married.  I think that lasted all of one Christmas because, like the rest of us, he found it difficult to wait the extra twelve hours.  We started opening our gifts on Christmas Eve the second Christmas of our marriage, and we have done it that way ever since.

It has always worked out well.  When I worked at the hospital, I was always happy to work on Christmas Day and take Christmas Eve off.  (Double time pay was an added incentive.)  Now it works well because we don't have to take turns with Mae's family at Christmas.  Erik and Mae come to our house on Christmas Eve, and they go to see her family on Christmas Day.  Everyone is happy and we all live in peace and harmony.

Yesterday was a sort of edge-of-the-seat day from beginning to end.  We were ever hopeful that Matthew would make it out of snowy Klamath Falls with his U-Haul truck in time to join us for our prime rib dinner.

Although feet of snow had fallen during the previous week, he was hopeful for a window of opportunity on Monday morning to get out of town.  He picked up his U-Haul on Sunday and had it completely loaded.  Then Monday morning at 10:30 a.m., he called to say he was gassing up the truck and he was on his way.  It was slow going up Hwy 97 out of Klamath Falls until he got to Bend, then the roads were pretty clear.  He avoided going over the highest passes by going through The Dalles and then west through the Columbia Gorge until he reached Hillsboro.  He phoned us intermittently throughout the day to reassure us of his safety, to gain moral support, and to keep us apprised of his newest ETA.

I spent the day cooking.  On the menu were prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables, a salad and a dessert.  Erik and Mae provided the latter two.  They showed up around 6:00 p.m.  Mae knocked herself out making this delicious chocolate cake.  I forget what she told me it was...something with salted caramel and chocolate.  It was like eating a big luscious Hostess Ding Dong, and it was delicious.  This was her first attempt at ganache, something I've never tried myself.  She did a great job.

She also made an amazing tiramisu.  Both desserts were light enough that we could have them after a full meal without feeling as if we were going to burst.  They also brought these gorgeous flowers for me.  So thoughtful.

And they surprised us with an appetizer of steak tartare.  They have a friend who is a chef, and he made this dish for them on his way to a food competition.  He was kind enough to show them how to do it, and it was so yummy.  Erik was a cook while he was going to college, and so he's something of a professional himself when it comes to this kind of stuff.  Here, he chooses the appropriate cutting implement.

"I'm a professional.  Don't try this at home."

Satisfied that he was doing it right, Mae commenced enjoying her wine.

In fact, we were all enjoying our wine.  Here's Mike relaxing and enjoying the family.

We feel so fortunate to have such a lovely daughter-in-law, and I love seeing the two of them together.  They were married in 2009, but they've been together much longer.

Even Gracie, who hates noise and crowded rooms, decided to grace us with her presence for a short time.

Here's how the table looked before we added food to the mix.  That is my grandmother's Bavarian china, over 100 years old, and my great aunt's silverware, somewhat younger.  I love hand-me-down treasures.

We were trying to remember that original movie of The Waltons: The Homecoming.  Not the TV series, but the original program from which the TV series was a spin-off.

Please tell me you're old enough to remember this.  And didn't they spend the day waiting for Pa Walton to return home on Christmas Eve?  That's how we all felt waiting all day for Matthew.  Earlier in the afternoon, he called to say that he wanted to drive the U-Haul directly to his newly rented home in downtown Hillsboro.  The problem was that his car was parked in our driveway.  So earlier, Mike and I drove the car down to his house and left it there so he would have a way to get to our house if he made it in time for dinner.  It's the cutest little house!  It will be perfect for him when he starts his internship in January.

We had hoped to eat dinner at 7:00 p.m., but if Matthew was anywhere close by, we were prepared to wait for him.  Not necessary because he waltzed through the door at just about that time.  We were SOOOOO glad to see him.

He was dead tired after a harrowing drive on icy and snowy roads in a U-Haul truck, no less.  And he was cold too.  I was so glad to be able to have him pull up a chair for a rib-sticking meal of roast beast.

Yum!  Erik is admiring the "crystal" container of Kraft Horseradish Sauce.  And be sure and notice the sterling silver dish of pepper jelly.  We are nothing if not informal around here.

Matthew spent the night with us and then today, we helped him unload his U-Haul.  It's the first time we've seen inside his little house.  And what a great house it will be for Matthew!  It has a nice big living room, which he's going to use to set up his drums and recording equipment.  (We all have our priorities, you know.)

Upstairs is a large "rumpus room" type room where he can set up his living and entertainment space.  Very nice.  That's Matthew, the camera ham.

Here's how this room looks from the other end.

There's a nice small, but very functional kitchen.

There are two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs.  Here, Matthew demonstrates the "walk in" feature of the walk-in closet.

Can you tell he keeps us laughing?

So that's pretty much our Christmas for 2012.  I poured myself a glass of the delicious wine that Erik and Mae gave us for Christmas last night just before sitting down to write this post.

Let's see...what else?  In yesterday's mail, I received a block from my Block Swap Adventure partner, Charlene.  I love the fabrics she used.  This is my last month participating in the Block Swap, and so this is my last block.  I think I've collected enough to make a lap sized quilt.  I may add a couple of my own to make a larger quilt.  This block is called the Oregon Trail.

Charlene also included this quilt pattern.  

Oh and Sue sent me a thank you note for the pig ornament I gave her.  I neglected to take a picture of it myself, but you can see the one she took.  If you missed my post about the cat slippers she gave me, you'll need to check it out before the rest of this will make any sense.

So I opened the card and cracked up when I found these "flash cards".

Can you tell that Sue and I do a lot of laughing when we get together?

So that's about it from this end.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.