Christmas Eve dinner, presents and Mass!

Mom's table is set...

Which can only mean that it's Christmas Eve dinner-time!

Traditional German Christmas Eve dinner at our house always means seafood

And,  I was in charge of the chilled shrimp cocktails and steamed Crab legs!

Mom made the Halibut...

And her yummy boiled potatoes with butter, fresh dill, chives and bacon!

And, for all the kids that don't care for seafood...

There's always a big platter of assorted grilled German sausages and sauerkraut!

I love the seafood mom serves, but I'm always lined up for the weisswurst too!

Mom leaves out the caraway seeds from her sauerkraut just for me!

Ein Guten!

The Ranger cracked a smile... It must be Christmas!

And, another one... That means it must be present-time!

After the presents are opened it's always time for midnight mass... 

And tonight, we're at the Carmel Mission

With two of my most favorite people in the whole world!

There is so much to be grateful for tonight!   

Merry Christmas!

Carmel Christmas Eve

We spent this Christmas Eve morning taking in the shops in Carmel...

Which is what I consider the perfect way to spend any day!

 

 Especially with mom and dad, and especially on Christmas!

 Oh, how I've missed all these cute shops and restaurants!

I like to think they've missed me too...

Oh, yes we did! Poor Santa... He just couldn't help himself!

Hey, William... Look! We've just spotted your next vehicle! 

We'll have it shipped home right away!

We stopped at Jim Miller's gallery to say hello...

And, I did a tiny bit of damage at Lush. Because I cannot not buy bath bombs!

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Look... Cake pops! Seems like I've seen, (and done!) them before!

We had the best salted pretzel here!

It was dificult, but we managed to resist everything else!

To me one of the most beautiful trees on the Peninsula is the Live Oak...

And this one on Ocean Avenue in Carmel is just spectacular!

Speaking of spectacular... We stopped at Paris bakery to pick up our Christmas dessert!

It's my favorite Monterey bakery!

For lots and lots of reasons!

It was a tough decision; however, mom and I finally settled

on one... A little chocolate number filled with raspberry!

We're home now and it looks like...

Santa has found us!

There's no snow on the ground here for Christmas...

Only blue skies and puffy white clouds!

But no one's complaining!

Besides, we know where winter lives, and we'll be back there all too soon!

Oh, no! Looks like Brandon packed his broken smile!

Fortunately, Grandma's smile is working just fine!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Let Christmas begin!

The Captain welcomes the Ranger home for Christmas!

SFO, 12/23/2010

Morning in Carmel with Mom

I couldn't wait to get over to the Mission this

morning... It holds such happy memories for me!

Brandon and William were baptized here, and we were married here on

our 6th wedding anniversary... I like to say it's the wedding we got right!

Oh, Carmel... 

How I love thee...

Let me count the ways...

For they are as many as all the grains of sand upon your white beaches!

Christmas Greetings from Carmel-by-the-Sea!