New Christmas Traditions

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was so blessed. We decided this year to enjoy a nice dinner together and create that memory instead of buying each other more stuff (neither of us could remember what we got each other last year). You can bet we won't forget this night, though! Through the recommendation of a friend, we went to Lark on the Park, a nice restaurant nestled right next to Klyde Warren. We parked next to the symphony and enjoyed a short walk to the restaurant.

Usually when we go out to a nice place, we like to order stuff that we aren't likely to cook, or aren't very good at cooking. So we definitely started with clams as an appetizer (have you cooked clams lately....? me neither). They were delish.  That was an easy decision! The rest of the menu was a touch overwhelming... we had a hard time figuring out what most of the entrees were, but after asking the waitress and finding out that one of them was a cheesy pasta dish, Jeremy ordered that one. I went ahead and got a roast chicken dish that was the BEST I'VE EVER HAD! Seriously, I am still wondering how they got the chicken to taste so delicious (juicy, tender, crispy on the outside, flavorful)! And it came with stuffing and brussels sprouts, so I felt as if I were having Thanksgiving dinner :-) But of course, we ended the meal with a dessert parfait that had coffee ice cream and chocolate lady fingers in it (I'm pretty sure I took a picture of that...but then again, I may have been too busy eating!)

Feeling quite satisfied, we walked to the symphony for the second year in a row to enjoy the Christmas show. There's something about being full of a room of people at Christmastime and listening to music we've all heard a thousand times before. Nostalgia sets in. It's why I love the season so much - so many reasons to celebrate, so many parties. There were many moments that brought me to tears that night - if you haven't ever been, you must go next year. It will make your holidays bright! ;-)

P.S. how do they find those kids for the children's choir? because they're incredible.

This was just a snapshot of one night of a very busy holiday season for Jeremy and me. It was crammed packed with parties, family activities, meals, etc. Right about now, I'm beginning to feel my annual "Christmas Blues." I am, however, realizing that it isn't Christmas at all that I am really missing once it's over, but rather all the people I love that I get to see so much of during the season. Next Christmas, I would love to spend more time with all of those people and less time fighting crowds, buying presents, and getting mad at Amazon for not getting my gifts to me (should I be mad at UPS? I don't even know.)