glad tidings and a giant coke bottle

glad tidings

we are currently going through all kinds of growing pains in our family...

first of all,

we are too big to have our annual christmas eve party at anyones home...

with the arrival gary's family, we have more than doubled

(in case you didn't know,

gary's family is kinda big:))

so we had a big party on the 21st in the club house at his condo...

mom and dad were there and with as stressed out as dallys and i were about the whole thing,

it turned out to be one of our best ever...

we had a surprise visit from santa and everyone one went home with a gift.

mom and dad got a beautiful new nespresso latte maker

http://www.nespresso-us.com/machines/pixie/

and dad made the most beautiful gifts for each of the grandsons...

some got exquisite poker boxes that are each one of a kind...

it was something very special...

(i'm sorry i didn't personally get a picture but they are truly

beautiful...)

prime rib

yorkshire pudding

  

on christmas eve we each had our own little parties

and at ours we made 

yorkshire pudding 

for the very first time.

this is a tradition in matt's family and it is wonderful...

 we also made a

prime rib (fantastic)!!!!

for the first time...

we probably had enough to feed you all and are still feasting on it today...

we even had a sit down dinner:)

(this is one of my new years resolutions-to have more sit down dinners)

matt built his annual snow sculpture...

a giant vintage coke bottle!

it was really something...

it didn't last very long though...

so sad...

and my beautiful mother made me this scarf and it was my very favorite present...

our christmas was wonderful...

but we have had a ton of snow and i have to drive in it tomorrow...

dang!

i have been busy working on some books for this year...

here is the first one

the other boleyn girl

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37470.The_Other_Boleyn_Girl

i will post more of them in a day or two...

bye...

more later...