Merry Christmas!

Woo woo! We're are just getting back to our normal lives right now. Jeremy and I have had a great couple of weeks...Christmas...New Year's Eve...we've been all over the place!

The holidays were super! Why can't they last all year? I loved hanging out with the Rindler girls! So cute!

Also, I get to announce a new member of our family:

Our new Kitchen-Aid mixer. I love it, love it, love it. I received it from my mom and dad, but incidentally, Jeremy's mom also got one for me. I have used it at least 3 times already. Try yours out with this recipe, from my gal pal Kandice (who just had her third little munchkin, Audrey, on New Year's Eve! Kandice is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside): 

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 C. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes

1 C. sugar

1/4 C. butter, melted

2 eggs, well beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 evaporated milk

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. flour

2 1/2 T. butter, melted

1/2 C. pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix the first six ingredients and place into a 2-quart casserole dish. Combine last four ingredients and sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until crispy. 

I made that yummy casserole for a Christmas day feast with Jeremy's mom, sister Erin, and Grandpa Hatler. (unfortch, Jeremy's grandma is not well and is in the hospital for the holidays).  The night before, we celebrated with Jeremy's dad, stepmother and sister, and then I went to Midnight Mass at St. Joe's in town. I had never been to Midnight Mass, and it was pretty cool! Next year Jeremy better go along, or I'm going to re-enact some passive-aggressive mood swings like I did this year.

Anywho, Christmas day was a great day. Jeremy and I spent the whole day together, eating and opening presents and hanging out with this family. I felt like a real grown-up...check out the sweet apron Santa brought and Jeremy's new "Lundberg" shirt (remember, like the boss from Office Space?).

Hope you had  a Merry Christmas, too! :) Up next: Me getting around to blogging about New Year's Eve! And Jeremy's new job! :) And trying to avoid the January Blues! ( I get them every year...) 

Weekend

Friday: Cocktails and hors d' oeuvres at my house before the AMAZING Columbus Symphony Holiday Pops

Saturday: Cocktails and hors d' oeuvres at Nationwide Children's Hospital's annual Medical Staff Holiday Social (and that was following Roomie Carla's super fun cookie exchange party...thanks Jeremy for making my cookies while I was working Saturday morning!)

Sunday: Cocktails and hors d' oeuvres with the pedo residency interviewees at Dr. Griffen's home in Victorian Village

Whew! Jeremy and I are exhausted from so much socializing! But it was tons of fun while it lasted! And, is it just me, or is the "gourmet slider" becoming the hors d' oeuvres of choice for the catering crowd? I miss White Castle. PS, White Castle now has sweet potato fries! OMG! I have to try them...sweet potato fries are my abs fav!

A Christmas Story

Here is our very first Ironton Christmas tree:

Here is the Christmas Story

Once there was a young pair of newlyweds. They were living a migrant workers' life in Tennessee. It was their first Christmas together, and needless to say, like many newlyweds, they did not have a lot of money for the holiday. So, the smart, resourceful young wife went to the bargain store, and bought Styrofoam balls, wire, glue, and glitter to make homemade ornaments for their first Christmas together.  

I bet it looked a lot like this: 

The young couple is actually my mom and dad. The story is true. My dad played minor league baseball for a number of years; there are many stories about them "just getting by" that my mom has shared with me. Like, they moved 6 times in 4 years all by themselves; or, once, they tried to return to a previously rented place a year later, only to find it condemned. There are many, many stories (most of them are true) about cockroaches and my sister Kelly (she was an infant through all this). I think this is where Kelly developed her irrational fear of insects. There are a lot of stories about being lonely and far from home. There are lots of happy stories, too. Most of them involve draft beer. 

I wish I still had one of the ornaments that my mom made the first Christmas my parents were together. The story reminds me of all the hard work you have to put in to end up--hopefully--safe and secure in your middle ages with happy, healthy children and a secure life to enjoy. It reminds me how their hard work has let me live the fortunate life I have had thus far.

Anyway, thanks mom and dad. :) 

And, truthfully, it wasn't all sad-sack. He's on a baseball card for crying out loud. How cool is that? 

Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, the Schafer side did something a little different: We got together at a golf course for a catered Thanksgiving brunch! While it was a big reach from what we usually do (go to an auntie's house, eat, clean up, nap/play cards/watch TV) it was great because:                    the WHOLE FAMILY WAS THERE! WOW!

That makes: One Nana Schafer, 4 Schafer men, 3 Schafer wives, 10 Schafer cousins (my sisters and myself included), 10 spouses/significant others and a WHOPPING 11 Schafer great-grandchildren. 

Whew! Here are some highlights:

This is my Nana and my Aunt Kathy! 

This is Lebibel, my cousin Ben's wife. She is holding the soon-to-be newest Schafer Great-grandbaby boy. Love her!

This is my pal Holly and her munchkins, Beau, Clayton, and Andy. 

This is my cousin Tracy and her niece, Olivia.

THIS is the newest Schafer, er Stitsinger, actually! Sweet baby Quinn, the first baby for my cousin Molly and her hubby Ryan. She is sooooo precious. No more silent nights for this couple! Love the argyle, too!

Here is Baby Quinn and her cousin, Regan. Regan looks just like her mommy, Amy, in this picture, don't you think?

For reference, Amy is on the left in this picture with my Dad and Cousin Molly.

Hotties! My aunt, Sandy, and my mom.

I think Olivia is smacking her Grandpa Frank (my uncle) for being so mouthy.

Here is one last picture of the great-grandkids before they all went down for a nap (right):

That's a lot to be thankful for, don't you think?