This Christmas weekend took my family on some unexpected turns! Quite unexpected, baby Ezra was born on Christmas Eve! Just to think on the same evening, over 2,000 years ago, our Savior was born!
As many of my readers know, I was prepping for my Christmas Eve dinner for a few weeks. Since last Monday, I’ve been cooking and baking making sure every last bit of my meal was planned and that all of my ingredients were homemade and local. Running across town for farm fresh brisket and local produce. Making sure I had enough beef and chicken broth for homemade tamales and slow cooked brisket. Baking double batches of Spanish cookies, polvorones. Scouring over the internet for recipes to use up homemade lemon curd before it soured. I was busy planning, prepping, and executing a Christmas Eve Feast for both sides of my family that were joining as one.
My menu included:
- Orange/Pomegranate/Almond Salad using mixed salad greens from Blue Gate Farm and a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Homemade Tamales using free range chicken from Coyote Run Farm
- Slow Cooked Brisket from Harvest Barn Marketplace. I’m so bummed I forgot to take a picture of this brisket. It turned out wonderfully tender and full of flavor. I’ll definitely be making this again when I get my half side of beef from Ebersole Cattle Co. and will make sure to take pics and share the recipe!
- Bacon-wrapped fingerling potatoes also from Coyote Run Farm. Recipe from Hummingbird Appetite. DELICIOUS!!
- Brussels Sprout and Bacon Gratin from Grinnel Heritage Farm – Everyone LOVED this!!
- Spanish Polvorones, Christmas Cookies
- Lemon Curd Cupcakes sweetened with rapadura sugar
I was excited as everyone really seemed to enjoy their meal. We were having a great time chatting, drinking some wine, and reminiscing. As soon as we filled our bellies, we headed off to the living room, (a few steps away, lol!) and began exchanging gifts with my husband’s side of the family. My side of the family would open gifts with my parents on Christmas day.
Yup, her water broke! We were so excited and couldn’t believe that baby Ezra would be coming sooner than we had expected! Like any Latino family, we ALL joined my sister at the hospital later that evening. What an absolute miracle to see my new baby nephew. Praise to God that he was born so healthy and so perfect!
Lost in the commotion of a new baby, we forgot about presents. We’ll be celebrating Christmas as a family tomorrow with our new baby! What a completely amazing Christmas this has been for me and my family! Thank you my Lord for sending your son into this world and thank you for the miracle that is our little baby Ezra!
I hope you have all had a wonderful and blessed CHRISTmas!
Congratulations on your new nephew! What a day to be born XD.
BTW, wonderful menu you had.
wow, brought a little tear to me eye! I am so happy for you all! What wonderful pics! Thank you so much for sharing with us!!
oh what a wonderful christmas! congrats to you for that fabulous meal and congrats to your sister for her beautiful baby! 🙂
How wonderful!! Congrats to you all!
Your food looks absolutely incredible.
Congratulations to your whole family for your new baby! What a wonderful present indeed!
Congratulations to you and your family! What a wonderful gift!
And all the food you prepared looks absolutely amazing!
Enjoy your new nephew! 🙂
Congratulations on your new nephew, once again! Those polvorones look delish!
He is GORGEOUS, Diana! Your family must be so happy & proud! Though your food looks amazing as always (mmm, brussels sprouts), I can't stop looking at Ezra's perfect little face! The perfect Christmas gift indeed. 🙂
Wow!Congratulations, Diana! The perfect gift 🙂
Thank you Diana! I knew you would come through and be the first to post pics of Ezra before anyone else! I have been waiting! What a wonderful Christmas gift 🙂 He is ADORABLE!!!!
He is absolutley beautiful!! Congratulations to your sister…what a perfect Christmas to remember 😀
What a fabulous Christmas gift! Congratulations to your entire family, but an extra shout out to your sister, since she did the work 😉 What a blessing!
Can't wait to try the green tamales … they look amazing!
oh wow what a great story and cool to be born at the same time as Jesus love it, so so happy for you and your lovely family
hugs Rebecca
Well this is a Christmas you'll all remember forever! What a great gift! Ezra is beautiful and lucky to be born into such a loving and warm family.
Happy New Year to all.
What a Christmas to remember! He looks like a perfect baby.
Congrats on the new member of your family!
There was no better Christmas gift-Congratulations!!!
Wow! I'm excited reading this story :). How magical! How wonderful! Congratulations.
What a wonderful Christmas gift! Your nephew is beautiful!
What a wonderful Christmas gift! Babies born at this time of year are such a wonderful thing. Squirrel's birthday is December 16th–such a wonderful reminder that a baby is the reason we are celebrating.
Awww. What a cute little guy! And what a special deliverance on Christmas Eve! Blessings and love to you and your family, and congratulations on the newest addition.
My son was born 9 years ago on one of the coldest, snowiest mornings 9 weeks premature – December 6th, 2000. He was due on February 5th of the following year. But my appendix ruptured and he came early. It was a scary time and we both almost died, but God took care of us and pulled us through. I'm so glad we were allowed to be a family!
Thank you so much everyone for the sweet comments! My new nephew is such a joy!
Raine – Thanks for sharing your story. Praise God that you both pulled through. What a miracle you both are!
Congratulations on the birth of your nephew. This will certainly be a Christmas to remember for your family!
Your baby nephew is adorable! What a wonderful Christmas surprise!
I'm so glad you liked the bacon-wrapped fingerling potatoes! I'm honored you picked the dish for your Christmas Eve dinner.
What a precious gift 🙂 many congrats to the whole family 🙂
Everything looks delicious you did an excellent job diana 🙂
I am so so so so happy for you! What a wonderful story and I love the great pictures!!!
Congrats~
What a wonderful and special Christmas memory your family will always have. The best present ever!
Could you have had a more special Christmas? Beautiful baby! Beautiful food! Some of your dishes are some of my favorites.