Home for the Holidays

We had a wonderful holiday season with the boys at home for 2.5 weeks along with my Mom with us for Christmas! She arrived a day before the boys, without my sister for perhaps the first time in her life, so we promptly enjoyed spa time and quality time touring the de Young.

The boys arrived and we took family strolls along the coast where David and the boys grew up. We also took everyone out to supper at the Moonraker, the spot of our first date, to celebrate my Mom's arrival.

Vespremi Mens

What's left of the whale that rolled on shore last year.

Our beautiful family.

Isaac the Producer was in his element; he promptly ordered a mocktail, appetizer, biggest steak on the menu, and then tried for two desserts. (We negotiated down to one, which he had all to himself.)

We enjoyed Elisabeth's gorgeous Christmas Eve supper feasting on her famous duck and enjoyed each other's company.

Christmas day was our turn to host. We had everyone over to open gifts and afterwards my Momma made Mamaw Jane's (her Momma) homemade biscuits + white gravy, buttery grits, sausage, and fresh beignets.

Isaac being trained in the art of homemade biscuit makin'.

Momma also brought some wine from Landry's, the local winery in our hometown, to enjoy alongside this Suthern feast! (And yes, we all took naps afterwards, Papagege got started early at the table ;).)

We got Momma off to West Funroe the next morning. Our time together flew by, but it was certainly well spent. Everyone has been waiting to meet her in person and really enjoyed having her!

Shortly after Christmas, the atmospheric river/cyclone bomb hit us and we stayed in doors and enjoyed quality time at home watching thunderstorms light up the night sky in bed together, playing Monopoly for hours (David won and BIG, for the first time in his life!!) and Isaac became a master paper boat maker, which he designed to sail down the river forming in front of our house! Oh yeah, and we all made it to midnight on NYE as well!

My Momma gave Liam a Louisiana culinary kit that included gumbo, brown gravy, Louisiana hot sauce and spices. Liam had the Geges over and made gumbo for us all, and it was sooo delicious! Perfect comfort food. We served it up in a dish that my Great Grandmother made decades ago, which was passed down to me by my Aunt as a wedding gift to us.

David and Isaac were invited on a last minute ski adventure up in Tahoe with David's long time friend, Bill. They said the snow was so thick (this is before the rain really hit even) that it felt like quick sand! Liam and I decided to pass on the 4 am wake up call and instead slept in and headed to Japantown for his first bullet train sushi experience + his usual boba tea afterwards.

Liam enjoying yummy sushi, while David is turtlin' in the snow = win/win!

We closed out the holidays by doing an early celebration of Liam turning 14! His dear friend Ben came over and we all, including Grandpa, went to an Escape Room in SF and had a blast. The boys came home to pizza, some cookie cake, and arcade playing before the main event of his family birthday party.

The grand finale of all is Grandma making Liam's favorite cake... (drum roll please).... drum cake! She arose at 6 am just to begin making the multi-layered, handmade masterpiece.

Now that's love.

Here's to a great year ahead! We love y'all sooo so much and can't wait for our February Lake Tahoe adventure!