It was a jolly holiday indeed for the Fagan and Bream families!
We had a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed lots of family time, food, fun and relaxation. We just arrived back in Ocala around 5:30 this evening and it looks like I have some catching up to do on the blog front since I fell off the face of the blogging earth.
Let’s recap in warp speed, shall we?
Christmas Eve with my family was spent around the house doing some last minute present wrapping, baking and food preparations for the Christmas dinner we hosted the following day.
Of course we attended church and celebrated the reason for the season!
After church, we came home to a seafood feast that included crab legs and crab cakes.
And wine garnished with raspberries!
I obviously took advantage of the crab legs.
At around 9 p.m. we headed out on my parents’ fully-decorated boat to meander up and down the canals blasting Christmas music.
Sadie even wore a red and green light-up necklace. She’s a festive little thing!
Once the evening boat ride was over, we were all pretty pooped and headed to bed to make sure we had energy for Christmas Day festivities.
Merry Christmas morning!
We got up around 7 a.m. and Ryan and I took some private time to exchange our gifts before everyone else was up and about.
After we opened our presents and stockings to each other, my family was awake and ready for breakfast, so we joined them at the table and dug into our stockings from Santa while eating monkey bread and cheese puff casserole.
Then it was time for presents!
I love watching my family open their gifts!
Sadie gave my dad a mug with her face on it because she’s oh-so-modest. My dad is a big tea-drinker, so she wanted to be with him every day first thing in the morning.
After all of our presents were opened, it was time to get dressed and continue the prep work for our special Christmas feast!
Ryan’s family and our friend/Leslie’s boyfriend Ross (and his adorable dog Kona) joined us for Christmas dinner and our friends Daniel, Merri and Pete came after dinner to hang out and spend the night.
Dinner was delicious! My mom’s beef tenderloin stole the show.
I completely forgot to snap any more pictures, so I apologize for the lack of family/friend/dessert pictures, but the rest of the night was wonderful and filled with quality time with the people who mean the most to me. Such a lovely Christmas!
I hope you all had a very special weekend!
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That sure does sound/look like you had an awesome holiday weekend! LOVE the boat ride thing–how fun is that?!
Mine was totally rockin’! I got so spend SO much quality time with the people I love dearly. And spend time on Sunday at Church–celebrating Him whos this is all about 🙂
That monkey bread looks totally delicious!!
We had crab as part of our Christmas Eve cioppino dinner… so messy, but soooo good!
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas Julie!!
Merry Christmas Julie! Looks like you had a wonderful time with your family.
I had to let you know that this morning when I went to pick up bagels for a post
Christmas breakfast with friends the total was $17.76! Couldn’t help but think of you and your 1492 post the other day. 🙂
I love your dress in the first picture! Where did you get it?
Love the black dress! Looks like a great Christmas 😀
I love your Christmas Eve outfit –The nude pumps are perfect with that black dress! Merry Christmas!
I love the top of the black dress you wore on Christmas Eve, it’s so cute!
It looks like you two had a fantastic time with your families! 🙂 Merry [belated] Christmas
everything looks wonderful! we had crab legs/cakes on xmas eve as well… so delicious. merry merry christmas!
Hi. Belated Merry Christmas! Looks like so much fun at your house. Would you like to share what Ryan got you for Christmas ….???
I absolutely LOVE that dress!!!! So elegant!
What a fun weekend!!! And I agree with the others … I love that black dress!
What a wonderful weekend! I’m glad your holiday was filled with lots of family and delicious food too.
And, I have to compliment you on that gorgeous dress. My fam doesn’t dress up too much on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but if we did, I’d want a cute outfit like yours 🙂
Merry Christmas Julie!! Looks like your family had a great one 🙂
Ps- the fact that Sadie gives gifts just cracks me up!
looks like you had a wonderful christmas!!! And who wouldn’t want a mug with sadie’s face on it? haha
Where has this year gone? It feels like just yesterday I remember reading your Xmas post and drooling over your mom’s monkey bread! Happy Holidays
Glad you had such a wonderful holiday!!! That mug of sadie is such a cute idea!
Looks like you had a great holiday — glad to hear it! I love that you guys went on a Christmas Eve boat ride — so fun!
Love your Christmas Eve dress!!
Glad you guys had a great xmas =)
Woww you guys REALLY know how to feast!! Thumbs up to the Bream and Fagan families 😀
who found the pickle this year?
It looks like it was a great, family and fun filled holiday! 🙂
Love the black dress! And that monkey bread. I’m pretty sure that’s what that is. I’ve never had monkey bread but it’s one of those things I’m avoiding in life for fear of loving it TOO much.
Merry Christmas to you and Ryan!
I love your dress! It must have been so nice to cruise around in the boat.
My puppy gave his grandma a charm with his name on it so he can be with her all the time too!! Love those puppies! 🙂
Your Christmas looked great!!!
Xmas Eve while manning the kettle for the Sally Anne a woman ran over my foot w/her cart and shattered my foot … Coulda used your mom for sure!! And so much for my NewYear’s
Got cut off …. NY exercise plans!!
And my neighbours blew out the floor’s fuse box and fried my computer….SO I enjoyed reading your fun times on my cellphone!!
Kona is adorable—as is Sadie of course!!!
Happy New Years to you … Keep off the bike?? 🙂
Janet
Ps – must look for your monkeybread recipe on ir site!
It looks like you and your lovely family enjoyed your holiday.
My family had a “Christmas brunch” this year instead of our big dinner and it was a hit.
So glad you & your family had a great holiday!
I love your dress in the first picture!
What did you end up getting your dad? I remember his gift being the biggest in the van!
Looks like a wonderful Christmas! I think I would’ve enjoyed Christmas in Florida when we lived there a bit more if we had a decorated boat to go on Christmas Eve 🙂 That sounds fun!
Great pics! Love the little place settings. Your family looks so happy, and I of course love the pupper pic!
So glad you had such a very merry Christmas!! Love the ornament seat assigners and your Church outfit, where’s it from? Its gorgeous!
Amazing recap, Julie! thank you for sharing! I am an avid reader of your amazing blog and really enjoy your voice.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!
Such a great recap and so much fun to see all the love and joy shared between you and your family! I love this season 🙂
Looks like you had a great Christmas spent with family and friends! 🙂
I love how you and your sister have matching PJs 🙂
I bet Sadie loved having a companion there!
What a good looking feast!
Merry Christmas! Looks like you and Ryan had a great time with your families! I love your dress! You gotta tell us where you snagged it!
Looks like you had a great Christmas! Merry (belated) Christmas to you and your family. 🙂 I love the Sadie mug you got for your dad – so cute! I want to make one with our dog’s face on it for my husband now…we have a choc lab who looks nearly identical to Kona!
Julie, what did you get for Christmas? and Ryan?
We made beef tenderloin too! It was quite delish.
I know what you are saying about the gym – if I see another sugar cookie I think I am going to freak out. Hello water and veggies!
What a wonderful Christmas! You had a lovely black dress.
Did you simply add raspberries to what kind of wine – that looks SO pretty and delicious!
Delicious eats and fun treats, perfect holiday! Love the idea of pipping some raspberries into a glass of wine [much classier than the gummy bears that we tossed into our mixed drinks in college, ha]!
P.S. Adorable and thoughtful use of ornaments as place holders!
OK JULIE, PLEASE PLEASE GIVE UP THE RECIPES FOR THE MONKEY BREAD AND THE CASSEROLE BC THEY BOTH LOOK AAAAAAAHHHHHMAZING!
Julie I love the idea of using ornaments for place tag holders – super cute!