socal christmas

i dashed straight from school on friday the 20th to the airport and hopped on a plane to san diego. the timing of my visit coincided with both christmas and my brother noah’s family’s move up the coast to orange county. i was so glad i could be there to take the four kids on some adventures while noah, kristi and the movers got things in the truck and to help unpack lots and lots of boxes!

i have to say i think we did a pretty good job setting up christmas in a brand new house in three days flat. we got out the decorations on sunday, bought the tree and trimmed it all pretty and sparkly on monday, and did all our shopping on tuesday (christmas eve) – organizing things and putting together furniture and wrangling small children in between. we also went to see the movie frozen, celebrated kristi’s brithday with homemade cards and banners and cake, got to know some new neighbors, and i babysat while noah and kristi went on an overnight date (we read christmas books under the tree and watched home alone).

our brother josh came in from arizona on christmas eve morning. that night we had an eyre-family-traditional jerusalem supper. i’ve observed this christmas ritual every single year of my life – we eat middle-eastern(ish) food and take on character roles to pretend we are guests at the last meal mary and joseph share with loved ones before they leave for bethlehem. this year we even had the donkey at the table! – lyla was hee-hawing all evening. other attendees included elizabeth and zacharias, wise mak from the east, and a shepherd named olof.

we opened dollar store gifts after acting out the nativity and singing some songs together. this exchange was so much fun. the kids were so excited to receive and especially to give. josh and i slept in the same room with the three older kids that night – we were packed in tight!

gosh, there’s nothing like christmas morning, is there?!

^^i know my face is slightly embarrassing, but i also think it is pretty awesome. i was excited!^^
 
^^we had our eyre-family-traditional eggs benedict christmas breakfast – mmmboy!^^

after some time playing with new toys, we headed out to the beach! it was the most gorgeous christmas day i think i’ve ever experienced – 82 and sunny and blue. tablerock beach in laguna was soooo outrageously pretty under the yuletide sky.

 

on the day after christmas, we made ice cream in noah and kristi’s new ice cream maker and flew the remote-control helicopter and brushed the new american girl doll’s hair and built with legos and molded play dough. then, we witnessed a huge milestone – five-and-a-half-year-old lyla’s very first haircut!

   

we went to the pool and then checked out balboa island on our way to the airport. we saw lots of christmas lights along the harbor, ate pizza and frozen bananas, and rode the ferris wheel!

holy moley i sure love that noah and kristi and mckay and lyla and cubby and bennett (and baby girl in kristi’s belly!) (and josh – so glad he came even if just for 30 hours!). it was a very memorable and magical christmas.

and most of all, more than anything, i love the baby jesus. i know the babe of bethlehem is the saviour of the world, and he lives. his power is the realest realest magic.

yuletide dinner party

 

ever since brittany and i started throwing dinner parties together early last year, we’ve talked about planning one around christmas – obviously the queen bee of all holidays to be celebrated with a classy fete.

so literally months spanning two calendar years of anticipation went into this one. we try to be graciously humble and remain a bit bashful about our dinner parties, but i’m just gonna out and say that this was pretty really fantastic. everything was really pretty and it was a magical evening, truly. {bummer that my pictures turned out pretty grainy and the light in my dining room is so weird.}

i mean, there is just no magic like christmastime magic, right?!?

 
on the menu: artichoke turnovers and apple gruyere bites for hors d'oeuvres / mixed greens with pomegranate, grapefruit, candied pecans, feta and fig balsamic / roast beef with caramelized onions, rosemary roasted potatoes, lemony brussel sprouts and spinach gruyere soufflé / the most beautiful chocolate and nut buche de noel (yule log) you’ve ever seen / homemade hot coco with assorted toppings

after the meal, we sat and sipped our drinking chocolate and shared family christmas traditions and laughed, and it was just wonderful. such a good group, such a fantastic night.

{previous dinner parties: st. patrick’s day / good friday / midsummer night / pioneer day /fall fete / saint lucia day / springtime in paris / garden party}

on two of the best things ever

1. sleeping under the christmas tree. last friday my favourite east palo alto friends and i had our second annual christmas tree slumber party which included lots of girltalk, watching elf, and cuddling up to relish the glow of the twinkle lights. {first annual}

2. candy cane joe-joes. can we talk about this for a second? gosh i love them. maybe i’ve had them for breakfast a few days lately. like, more than a couple cookies for breakfast. i just think they are perfect – flawless ratio of minty to chocolatey to creamy. mmmmmmboy.



decemeber is rushing by too fast!

nutcracker magic (again)

i am in love with everything about the nutcracker. i went to see the san francisco ballet perform to tchaikovsky with the loveliest girls last week, and i could hardly contain my pure elation at seeing that wonder on stage. (yes, i was practically squealing with delight. it was pretty obnoxious.) i just think the nutcracker is the most beautiful, magical production in the history of ever. especially the snow scene. the snow scene makes my skin tingle and my eyes well up every time! clara’s dream is the best dream i can think of – a trip around the world, a handsome prince, and a miraculous transformation into a superb sparkly ballerina.

and the opera house is so enchantingly wonderful at nutcrackertime! i love this girls-night-out tradition so so much! {last year / first year}

 

in the city

mom and i drove up to san francisco on sunday evening. as we came around the bend that reveals the city’s metropolis on the highway, we both oohed at the soft golden end-of-day light kissing the hills. it was one of those sunset moments where the air was thick and kind of crystally and the space around was crisp and clear and bathed in warmth. we got to treasure island just as the sun slipped behind the skyline and we watched as the sky changed and the city began to twinkle across the bay.

every single time i drive on the upper deck of the bay bridge and the city grows and grows in my view, a tickly thrill runs down my spine. it reminds me, every time, of the first time i came across the bridge three-and-a-half years ago on a brave adventure. there’s just nothing like it. it gets me every single time.

 

 

we went to union square to see all the festiveness. i adore those macy’s wreaths. and for the first time i saw the neiman marcus tree from inside the building (in previous years, i’ve only marveled from outside). it’s spectacular. gosh i love urban christmasyness. we also stopped in to see the incredible gingerbread castle in the westin st. francis hotel. the streets were all abuzz with holiday cheer.  

the next morning, my mom left in her rental car for the airport as i left in my car for work. saying goodbye to my mom is always a bit weepy, regardless of circumstance. it was just so so good to have her here with me. each night we were together we knelt and prayed together, taking turns speaking out loud, and i just felt so overwhelmed with gratitude for her. i am so so blessed. thank you for coming, mom – i don’t have grandbabies for you, but i do have charming seaside towns and cozy christmas tree farms and sparkly holiday cityscapes!