Our First Christmas

Well, not our first

but grand girl Lucy's first!!!

Dressed in a proper outfit

(for the hat announced that it was "Baby's First Christmas")

And Christmas morning we opened presents

as we munched on Kringle, Stollen 

and had mugs of freshly brewed coffee

Lucy and I

Exchanged Christmas ornaments

Hers to me . . .

And mine to her!

And then there were the dogs . . .

Dolly's maternal instinct game forward
And felt that Lucy was deserving of a corgi kiss!

While Doogie thought she was a nuisance and spent most of Christmas
under the afghan on the sofa!

After the ribbons and boxes and paper and tissue were disposed of

(paper to the trash, ribbons and boxes and tissue upstairs to be used next year)

We had Christmas Dinner

The last appearance of the Christmas China

On Christmas Day

We've "toyed" with different menus  . . .

And this was the second year we had

The roasted pear salad -- the center stuffed with bleu cheese, cranberries and nuts

Daughter Sarah and I agreed that two years makes a tradition

and so this is our Christmas Dinner salad!

from now on out!!!

And a long time ago, we came upon this recipe 

And we've fixed it many past Christmases

It's a cornbread and Andouille sausage dressing

Which everyone just adores

And, of course, there needs to be a vegetable . . .

Roasted Brussels sprouts

And the star of the show is neither a turkey or a goose,

but rather

A roasted pork loin with a wine plum sauce

And, of course, Husband Jim brought up a good bottle from the cellar

Dessert was Daughter Sarah's request

Sticky Toffee Pudding

And we all agreed that it will be the Christmas dessert

In fact, we all agreed that this will be our traditional Christmas dinner from now on --

It was that good!!!

Table cleared and dishes done, we prepared for the

"Sip and See"

that evening from 5 to 7

So friends of ours could see grand girl Lucy

For she's not been here before she was born

And if you come to Linderhof . . .

You must be fed!

Cookies and candies from the tins in the parlor

And a cheeseball (Ann's cheese ball -- the recipe I've had far longer than I've had Daughter Sarah!)

made especially for the party

And then . . . 

The day after the day after

Breakfast in the dining room

Toast and peanut butter

(The peanut butter, they brought --

The toast, I made)

The very best peanut butter

(but who wouldn't with brown sugar and honey and butter added to the peanuts!)

(We politely didn't clean the jar -- so that they could take some home!

I informed Daughter Sarah that perhaps a jar of that peanut butter should

be a traditional present for dear parents who didn't live near Minneapolis and Hell's Kitchen!)

And, also for Daughter Sarah

Baked oatmeal with sugar and cream to pour on top

Full of Christmas pears and the last palmful of dried cranberries

We lingered, we talked, we had just one more cup of coffee.

For we knew after breakfast that it would be time

To say goodbye!

And into the car they piled one and all

And with a wave as they drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good night"