Liz's Letters: Project 365 Week 32

Christmas week!

Preparations begin for Adam and Thien's arrival and for the Christmas celebration.
First, I had to finish the second project that I worked on...
a blanket for Aaron to use in his apartment.
Not quite as time consuming as the quilt for Josh,
but full of love and warmth!
Monday, December 21
I finished the fleece blanket for Aaron.

Tuesday, December 22
Adam and Thien arrived safe from Washington DC.
There had been a huge snowstorm that closed the airport in DC just days before,
but they made it on time to Texas!
Yay!

Homecoming dinner

Video gaming....

Wednesday, December 23
We went to the Korean market and the Vietnamese market to buy the ingredients for Pho'.
While we were there, Adam asked Thien if she would make her kim-chi soup for lunch.
She agreed.
Boy, oh, boy, was it ever good!
Somehow it has happened that my entire family loves authentic Asian cuisine.

Thursday, December 24
I decided that I would try to make homemade beef Pho' for our Christmas eve dinner.
I woke up early and started the broth.

By mid-day, it started to snow.
Texas has not had a white Christmas since 1926!
And it snowed about 2 inches on Christmas Eve and there is still little bits of snow outside as I type this on December 27th!

Thien and I are finishing up the Pho'

The table is set

And here is my bowl of Pho'!
Yummy!
It was not quite as good as when Thien made it two years ago, but almost!
She and I evaluated everything I did, made some notes and I will be trying this again in a few weeks! Even though it was not perfect, it was still very good!

Christmas eve night...
I am the last one to go upstairs to bed.
This is a photo that I took with my phone after Santa made his visit.

Christmas
Friday, December 25
The early morning stocking opening!
Ready???

Adam and his new pipe....

Aaron with his new blanket...and hat...

Rebecca opening presents...all smiles.
This was a cool calendar.

Thien got some dishes that she has been looking at...

And Fred took photos!

Everyone got a copy of the movie "Up"
We watched it the next day, and I cried again!

Saturday, December 26
The snow is STILL on the ground in Texas...
unbelievable!

Rebecca and Thien spent a good part of the day in their new pajamas!

I got to use my new toaster oven that Aaron gave us!

And Thien cooked dinner for us,
another wonderfully, fabulous, soup!

Sunday, December 28
There is still a little snow on the ground.
I am feeling sad because tomorrow is Adam and Thien's last day here...
and my last day of vacation.