We did dinner a little differently, this year. Dad prepared a whole ham, instead of the pre-cooked kind we have had before. He got up this morning and made a honey-brown sugar glaze, and the ham started it's slow roast to deliciousness after breakfast. Behold the pork goodness.
Usually, our vegetable of choice is the tried and true Green Been Casserole. But again, we were mixing things up, so we decided on Creamed Spinach. None of us were brave enough to attempt making it from scratch, so we decide to buy it pre-made. There was no Boston Market brand to be found in the stores, but I lucked out again at Trader Joe's. For some reason creamed spinach does not have the most appetizing presentation...but it was very tasty.
Behold, Funeral Potatoes. Though they bear an unfortunate name and recipes really vary from person to person, they are some serious taste-ations.
By special request, I was able to partake in one of the heavenly parts of life. Bread, Bundt Bread. I don't know where Mom got the recipe (though I could go downstairs and ask her), but it is one of my all time favorite breads. Buttery, crispy outside. Soft, lovely inside. Please do not attempt to eat your monitor/screen.
As I mentioned, dinner came together very slowly. We were all pretty hungry by the time we sat down to eat. No sooner than we had a chance to look at the spread on the table before us, the phone rang. Wade called from his mission!! We had been waiting all day to talk to him, postponed our annual Christmas Movie Outing, so we wouldn't miss the chance to speak with him and he called right as we were about to eat. So, Mom put him on speaker phone and we talked to him throughout the meal, dishes afterwards and closed out the conversation while enjoying a post meal relaxation on the couch. It was great to hear his voice, which strangely sounds like Clarke more and more every day.
Mom and Dad talked to Clarke for a while this morning and we are all anxious to have him back home from Afghanistan. We've been thinking about spending next Christmas out in Salt Lake City with him and his wife Carrie. If we are lucky enough, and the weather is nice enough (Utahns are "enjoying" the ultimate White Christmas this year) James and his family might be able to join us for some of the festivities.
James called this morning to share the excitement of Carter's first Christmas. They sent a video of Carter enjoying his first experiences with unwrapping presents and riding his new rocking horse. What a great treat to be able to have the opportunity to live in a day and age where we are able to share in their day, like that.
Our evening was spent napping, snacking and desserting. In other words, generally enjoying our quiet happy day. I hope you all had a wonderful day. Merry Christmas.
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