Christmas 2009

Christmas this year was a sweet time for Aleks, Maia, and I. We decided to spend our first Christmas at home, without the stress that traveling can cause.

The week before Christmas we had a few friends over to decorate "gingerbread" houses (made with graham crackers) and had a blast enjoying their company.

Seriously, how cute is she?!

The older sister.

Our house was decorated and the stockings hung on the mantle with care.

(Right after I took this picture, Maia rolled off the couch onto the floor. She's ok.)

Maia was super excited for Santa to come in the morning, she was dressed in her red pajamas ready for a good night's sleep.

(You can tell the level of excitement by the blurriness that are her arms.)

After Maia went to bed, Aleks and I ate the mole poblano chicken enchiladas that he had spent all day making. To read a full description of the event, you can check out his blog.

Maia woke us up on Christmas morning at 6, and after her breakfast of peaches and oatmeal, we opened presents!

After Maia went down for her morning nap, Aleks and I had breakfast. I had made a Kringle, (a Skandinavian pastry), which my mom usually makes on Christmas morning.

We spent most of the day taking it easy, watching movies, and going for a walk. We received a call from my mom around 1 with the news that her mother had passed away. Grandma has been sick with Alzheimer's for awhile and has been in and out of the hospital since June. She was such a special lady and there will be an emptiness with her gone. The sadness of losing someone I loved has also made me so grateful for the strong family ties that remain. The memorial service will be on Jan. 2 in Castro Valley and we plan on being there. I look forward to celebrating my Grandmother and helping support and show love to my Grandfather.

Aleks and I spent the rest of the day cooking. It was a really special time for us to talk about our families, Grandma and Grandpa, and many other things. Although the circumstances are crummy, Aleks and I were able to bond closely that day.

Our favorite moment of the day was cuddling up with Maia on the couch and watching the Muppet Show. She loved it and we were able to get some rare snuggling from her.

Here are some pictures of our Christmas dinner:

Yeast rolls that I made

Aleks did an awesome job with the steaks, look at the crust on that thing!

The menu:

Filet mignon with goat cheese and balsamic glaze

Mashed potatoes

Rolls

Arugula Salad (aren't you proud mom?)

I also made a bouche de Noel. I think it looks pretty, but unfortunately, it didn't taste very good. It was just really rich without a lot of flavor. We ended up throwing it away...

We hope you had a blessed Christmas. Love to you all.