For Julia, this weekend was all about working nonstop, with a few FaceTime calls with us and Benjamin thrown in. Also shown are Julia's batch cooking of chicken thighs (yum!). In DC, we had a family dinner with the Westfalls—met Sarah (Noreen's cousin from Ireland). Noreen cooked up a storm! I didn't do well with my candid photography—eyes closed, unfortunately. Steven captured a nice picture of me and mom.
We missed Chad. He would have loved the fun Christmas glasses and the new addition of the karaoke machine. I'm not sure what Dad would have thought of that. :) Benjamin, Elise, and Jenna joined us for the first time. Lisa and Tony made a delicious meal of brisket, ham, and many yummy sides. Mom had an incredible assortment of candy, decorations, and frostings for the party. Thanks to Tony and Ethan for the gingerbread house construction. It was a lot of fun.
Julia and friends have been taking advantage of the nice weather and great bike paths around Minneapolis/St Paul. Also pictured is her steak salad with homemade pesto sauce.
Here in DC, we celebrated Todd's 60th birthday and Hunter's 22nd birthday. Tyler was back for the week, Skyler was driving through, and it was Ethan's last day before heading back to Boulder. It was good to catch up with everyone. And, Noreen made some delicious beef tenderloin...so good.
Julia reconnected with her beloved cousins last night as we celebrated Ethan's 13th birthday! Yay! She also spent precious time with Meme before the festivities (maneuvering rush hour traffic). Lisa and Tony made the most delicious pork chops. Julia especially enjoyed the mashed potatoes and mango salsa combination with her salad. It was nice to catch up with everyone and to honor Ethan as he begins his 13th year.
