I got a huge surprise the other day - while loading something into the back of my ridiculously filthy car, I noticed my hub cap was incredibly clean. Then I realized that not only was it clean, but it was new! I had lost that hub cap & hadn't gotten around to ordering a new one. It was really surprising, because DH hadn't said anything about the hub cap & when I called him to thank him, he knew nothing about it. The hub cap was not from him.

Come to find out, it was the neighbors! It was their Secret Santa gift to us! Apparently they put it on a few days ago & I hadn't even noticed. Ooops.

So as a thank you, I've baked them a cake. It's a devil's food cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, covered in fondant & topped with gum paste violets. It was my first time playing with the gum paste kit Santa brought me. They aren't perfect & boy did it take a long time to make all those little violets! I hope they enjoy the cake as much as I enjoy having FOUR hub caps.

We had a wonderful Christmas, though we certainly missed DH's family. This was really the first Christmas for DH & I that felt like Christmas. Last year we were living apart due to work & didn't decorate & the years prior to being married we spent with our families. This year was the real deal - Christmas tree, lights, decorations & orange cinnamon rolls while we opened our stockings. I'm not ready to take any of the decorations down yet!

The pups checking out the "fire."

Christmas dinner was held at our new house; on the menu - sausage stuffed mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese stuffed black olives, deviled eggs (Jodi), prime rib with horseradish cream, roasted brussel sprouts with pecans, roasted green beans with mushrooms, medley of roasted potatoes, oyster casserole (Mom), corn pudding (Mom) & homemade dinner rolls (Grandma). For dessert, I had out some Christmas cookies & by special request, Mom's chocolate pecan pie. Everything was delicious & we had a wonderful time.