My Christmas Holiday

So, I realize this is overdue, but this is the first chance I had to pull the photos from my camera.   I am sorry the spacing between the photos is irregular.  I tried to fix it, but blogger was being a jerk and I wasn't interested in bothering with it a single moment longer.  It is what it is.

Going back home for the holidays is great.  I get to see my awesome family and my awesome friends, like Alli,



And my dad and Keleigh.

I love my dad's cats.  They are just a wonderful, entertaining time.   It makes me miss having kitties of my own.

My step-mother, Dana, looking quite pleased with one of her gifts Christmas Eve.

The cats cannot--just cannot--resist a box. 

A little jewelry box for Keleigh.

And a big jewelry box for Dana!  The biggest one I've ever seen actually! 

Dana had quilts made using t-shirts of her son, Jayde, who passed away some years ago.   It was a powerful and bittersweet moment when her other son, Wes, opened his quilt.  I think it is a wonderfully touching and quite practical memorial idea.

Keleigh (who you can just barely see peeping into frame) watching her Papa open the sun-catcher ornament she painted him

Boxes are frequently as much fun as the toys it seems....

Blueberry pie.

Cheesecake monster!

As I said, the cats cannot resist boxes.  This particular box was even more irresistible because they could see out, even when inside of it because it was clear.  

Sarah got some sort of strange gaming system which was set up in the basement.  You move around and it "sees" you rather than you using a remote control to play it.  My dad, Sarah, and Keleigh had a good time with it, but I don't know, it wasn't for me.  Too weird.

Keleigh singing karoke on Sarah's new game.

My dad showed me he finally learned to juggle.  Matt and I gave him a how-to book for his birthday I believe.  Matt had been juggling at the house and my dad seemed to think it was pretty cool.  So, we got him the book.  I had no idea he was still practicing.  I was super impressed I have to say.  I still can't juggle at all!

Stick-on earrings.  Keleigh made sure I was well accessorized each day.

Keleigh made sure everyone was well accessorized, actually, and my dad is such a sport as to oblige her.

My dad is so sweet with his kitties, too, holding her up so she could look out back.  Awwwwww.....

When she is at my house Keleigh always wants to pretend she is a kitty and play with a ball of yarn.  By that, I mean spread the ball all over my house.  Which is fine with me.  Well, I gave her the ball of yarn to play with the real, live kitties and it was even more fun!  She laughed almost non-stop, which you can hear in the video below.

My family likes games.  We played lots of cards and a few board games as well, such as Operation, which I hadn't played in years!

 Shortly after Christmas that lucky duck Alli will left for travels through Egypt and the Meddeteranian.  She modeled  a few dresses for a small group of friend as she wasn't sure which dresses to take.  Well, one thing led to another and somehow Ben ended up in a dress too.  He was faux-disapponted though because he didn't look at all feminie, just like a boy in a dress.

The bouncing curls and headscarf helped, but alas....boy in a dress.  A silly, silly boy in a dress!

There was a flock of a dozen bluejays in my dad's backyard.  I was elated!  I've never seen so many in one place.  They were in their winter drab colors though so they wasn't as flashy as they usually are.

Matt and I had our own wee holiday when I got back from my Dad's.  In addition to the super-duper kite he made me special food as gifts, which is one of his specialties.  This year it was chocolate-peanut butter cups and cashew
"goat" cheese. 

He tried three different "goat cheese" recipes, all of which were tasty, but one of of which was superb!  See, I have a deep love for goat cheese going back to my one brief visit to Belgium where I ate it daily.  However, I havn't yet found one up to my admittedly high exceptions and requirements for humaneness, sustainability, local production, etc. since I turned into a vegan (and now a semi-vegan) and organic food nut.  I'd been ogling the cheese (talking mycase at the co-op and researching the subject of local goat cheese lately so Matt knew I'd been hankering for it.   I was surprised at how amazingly similar the taste and mouth-feel was to how I recall goat cheese to be.  Creamy, rich, tangy, and awesome.  Made with cashews!  Go figure.  I love Matt to pieces!

 I hope your holiday was just as much fun for you and your friends and family!