Time to Celebrate

A couple weekends ago, the Ruggiero family gathered at Dianne & Arthur's home for an early Christmas celebration!  We started the festivities at 4:00, and enjoyed seeing our loved ones again, and sharing dinner together.  Here is Art busily cooking the "shrimps on the barbie" (using a fryer), and below Kim is playing with Effie, niece Natalie's prized pooch!

We are continuing the tradition of having fish on Christmas Eve, so Martin & Kim made a delicious lobster-based tomato sauce for the capellini pasta.  Dianne and Arthur breaded and fried LOTS of shrimp.  Vince and I made traditional fishcakes using Mom Ruggiero's recipe. 

All the younger generation contributed to the dinner as well.  Austin and his girlfriend Giana are pictured here.  Giana made home-made frosted sugar cookies with names on them...the cookies were our "placecards" for the beautiful table settings.

Natalie made delicious ricotta cookies, her Nana's recipe, and they looked so pretty on the cookie trays.

Josh and Beth brought over two delicious appetizers, and Beth made "S" cookies, a traditional italian cookie!  Yummy!

Here you can see Dianne & Art's beautiful tree...decorated with a very special collection of ornaments.

Alissa & Alan brought a delcious salad; Mike and Corissa brought healthy veggies to munch on!

Cailyn and Landon enjoyed getting acquainted with their extended family...

Cousin Troy brought in two HUGE teddy bears...what a surprise for the little ones!! Thanks to Uncle Martin & Aunt Kim too!

Aunt Dianne and Uncle Arthur gave Landon a book and truck; Cailyn received a new doll and feeding set!  You can see how pleased she is; Cailyn LOVES her dollies!!

And by the end of the evening, Cailyn and Effie were best pals....she wanted to be sure Effie was nearby!

(Did you know that "red-eye" correction will not work on animal photographs, only on humans??! I did try to remove the red-eye on Effie with no luck!) 

 Dianne's mother, Betty, gave everyone home-made pomegranate jelly. Delicious!! We missed seeing John this year as he was ill that night. 

Thanks again to our hosts, Dianne & Art, for making the evening so special for everyone!

Our Christmas celebrations will continue this weekend, after we celebrate Alissa's birthday tomorrow evening.  In addition, we will celebrate our oldest daughter's homecoming...Jennifer arrives in Arizona tonight at 11:00 pm. for 8 days. We can't wait to see her again! It's been a long 16 months!!