We were so blessed to be able to have both my mom and Scott’s dad with us for Christmas dinner. We followed the same protocols as Thanksgiving and had a safe and special evening together filled with love, seafood, champagne, cookies and eggnog! Here’s some of the highlights:

We are grateful that we were able to make this special memory together to mark the end of this crazy year. So far everyone is staying healthy in our family and we pray for that to continue as we do our best to stay connected and protected. We hope you were able to celebrate Christmas in your own meaningful ways. We pray for those who have suffered loss and illness during this pandemic and that it will soon be behind us.

When we began this fateful year, a rainbow appeared on January 1st over our house:

On November 18, another rainbow appeared:

I take this as a good omen that the storm is about to pass and the Light will return soon. In the meantime, take good care and stay connected and protected.

It is now two weeks after Thanksgiving and none of us have COVID, so I figured it was safe to do an update! We had a wonderful day cooking, visiting and doing our COVID safety dance around the kitchen and dining room. Jimmy showed Scott all the tricks for making his outstanding grilled turkey. It was truly amazing! He also brought his homemade ceviche and porcini spread over crostini for us to nosh on while we worked. We nipped on champagne and caught up with each other, wearing masks except when we were seated 6 feet apart eating. I made mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Scott made his mother’s stuffing. Mom made a crustless pumpkin pie and Terri made pecan bars, which we topped with cream Scott whipped up in his KitchenAid.

It was a delicious meal! We so enjoyed being together that wearing masks was well worth the minor inconvenience. We ran the Medify air purifier and kept the windows cracked, using electric heaters to keep our parents warm.

Here’s some photos of the day:

I can’t believe I forgot to take dessert pictures! Sorry about that.

Looking back, it was an awesome day and I’m happy we decided to go ahead with our plan to be together while practicing our COVID protocols. As long as we all remain healthy and it is allowed, we plan to have Christmas dinner with Scott and I and both our parents. The menu plan so far: deep fried artichoke appetizers with champagne, crab louies with fresh dungeness crab, broiled lobster tails, and our neighbor’s homemade herbed sourdough. We will finish up with Scott’s Christmas cookie platter. I can’t wait!

Stay tuned for an update in January. In the meantime, take good care, be safe and stay connected to those you love. Wishing you a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful, Healthy, Happy New Year! (I don’t think any of us will be sad to see this one go.)