I hope you all had a great Christmas! Ours was a mix of hectic and chaotic, which is the best, isn't it? Eva's daddy had a houseful of out of town visiting relatives, so she didn't get over to our house until later than planned, so our time with her was a bit rushed. I couldn't reach the box with Christmas stockings this year, so we used decorative Christmas boxes for "stockings" and Santa figured it all out brilliantly. The best little gifts are always in the stockings, and I loved the idea of doing pretty boxes instead. They were all lined up on the hearth and packed full of all the usual treats that Santa likes to leave. Eva is opening hers in the photo above.
Christmas afternoon is always much more peaceful and allows for time to explore and appreciate the gifts you got. Sara gave me the Ina Garten memoir (which I read in one day!) and Archie and I sat on the sofa and relaxed with Ina's memoir and referred to a few of her cookbooks, which I already owned. There are some great recipes I need to try! Her story is inspirational, and I recommend her autobiography "Be Ready When the Luck Happens". As a side comment, I just can't recommend highly enough getting a dog that matches your sofa. They blend right in and shedding just isn't an issue.
Doesn't it seem like someone always gets sick on Christmas? This year it was poor Ahren. He came down with the worst case of flu, probably a bug he picked up on the plane on the way here. He ran a fever of 101° and was pretty miserable. He had chills too, so I bundled him up in a stocking cap and one of my quilts, and he was a good sport about it. He actually had to extend his return flight a few days so he didn't have to travel feeling sick. This was a doozy of a case of flu. Dennis and I had our flu shots in October and so far have been spared.
As a matter of fact, he was too sick for Christmas dinner, so we put our feast off a day. We had prime rib, mashed potatoes, and broccoli on the 26th. Actually, the best part was the leftovers, which I made into a pie on Dec. 27.
The Leftover Steak Pot Pie recipe came from Spruce Eats, and the main change I made was to substitute the frozen peas and carrots (which I hate) with C & W's Ultimate Southwest Mix (a blend of corn, red peppers, poblanos, onion and black beans). The recipe used a lot of leftover meat, was delicious, and I will make it again for sure.
We've had such a great visit with Ahren, and I am so sad to see him leave. We got a few extra days with him since he got sick, but he does leave today to head for home in Dublin. He starts a new job in a week or so. I can't remember the name of the financial institution he will work for, and in my mind I am calling it P B & J, which is ridiculous sounding, but there you go.
I wish you all the best this holiday season and hope that 2025 gets off to a great start! Happy New Year!
11 Responses
So sorry Ahren was sick for Christmas and had to delay his flight home 😥 I hope by the time he leaves today, he is feeling much better. Traveling while sick is the pits.
I love your box instead of stockings idea! So clever and there are so many pretty boxes these days. You did an awesome job switching gears and making it work – kudos to you!
Thanks for sharing your life with us in 2024. It was fraught wit challenges but kudos to you for pressing on.
Happy New Year to All! 🎉🥳
Sounds like a wonderful day, even if Ahren was sick and miserable. I’m glad you got to keep him for a few extra days, it’s so hard when one of your kids is far away! My youngest is in Florida, not quite as far as yours, but I do miss her so much! Wishing you the best as the new year unfolds…
Poor Ahren! Having a fever is soooo miserable and then trying to enjoy time with family and you just can’t.😔 Archie blends in very well! Eva looks like she had a blast 💥!😻
Poor Ahren! At least you got more time with him. Our Wire Fox doesn’t blend in with our furniture but the dear little guy has always loved my quilts. He has to be on one when he has a treat. Happy New Year to you and yours! Blessings in this New Year!
I’m impressed that Ahren was ok with being bundled up for a photo he KNEW would end up on your blog! The stocking cap is a good idea when he was probably freezing cold from his fever. We’ve gone to gift bags instead of actual stockings for our family & friends exchange after Christmas dinner. That way, everyone can bring their’s & not need to switch into the recipient’s stocking or figure out how to carry their loot home. Wishing you a happy New Year! 🎊🎆
Sounds like you had a great holiday, even though your poor son was ill!! He was a good sport. Happy New Year!
Misery loves company as I sit here with the worst flu ever. Got our Christmas in— New Year’s not so much! I can’t get to bed soon enough! Always happy to get your updates, xox.
Happy New Year to you! There was so much sickness this year:nephew, great-niece, daughter-in-law, son, and then me. I have the worst cold ever and am just sitting here with my laptop breathing and coughing. Hubby had a milder version last week. We flew home early and I should have waited as Ahren did. Miserable flight. Here’s to a better year for you and yours and more of your great blogs and recipes!(I already printed the steak pie.)
Wish you a Happy new year, love and health for everyone in your sweet family. My husband and I were just by ourselves this year, as my eldest is at his in-laws in California and the youngest flew to Netherland with his sweet wife-to-be. But we had our 3 indoor cats and our two dogs and 5 outdoor cats to visit us.(food for free, lol).I hope you are ok. I read your posts from the beginning (sheer luck, I guess)so, if I may, I think of you as about a far away friend. Have a great 2025!
Happy belated Christmas to you and your family. I love the idea of the boxes being used for stockings. Sorry for your son’s illness but glad he was able to be with you, especially this year. I had to laugh at the comment about the matching dog and couch 😂
I’m glad your festivities went well, overall! I listened to Ina Garten read her memoir, which is my favorite way with a memoir — audiobook read by the author! Soooo good. Have you listened to Spare by Prince Harry? His and Ina’s were some of my favorite books of 2024 (I read 50 books last year, which was the 2nd most I’ve ever read in a year!).