As Cecile, Jason, Alex and I approached AL and Kim Chien's home for the Christmas Eve party, we were mesmerized by the warm decorative glow of the Christmas wreaths, the dazzling Christmas tree that shone through the window and steady tranquil sound of a decorative water fountain to the left of the entry.
There were 29 of us in attendance, all excited to be here including many of AL and Kim’s family members. Kyle’s brother Chip and Katie came in from NYC. Kyle and Michelle brought our precious granddaughter Lyla, barely 2 weeks old dressed in an adorable festive red outfit.
Needless to say, this bundle of joy brought a special warmth and glow of its own to the evening. Our friend Percy said: “Just when you think it can’t get better
than ‘this,' it gets better than this.'” The gregarious grandfather of three added; “Welcome to the grandparent’s club!”
As always, the food was delicious. Everybody brought a side dish, including Baked Brie in Puff Pastry, Twice baked Potatoes, Balsamic Roasted Sprouts with Bacon, and an assortment of vegetables, Kim made Wild Greens, Pomegranates and Candied Pecans in Champagne dressing and Al prepared Clam Dip and Chips, Dungeness Crab with Cocktail Sauce and Lemon and a Filet Mignon Roast with Au Jus cooked to perfection. The desserts were plentiful and the wine and drinks were flowing as was the conversation.
We feel so blessed and grateful to be part of the family.
Merry Christmas to friends and family!
Postscript: I want to acknowledge my dad Frank Augustine who passed away a year ago this month. He loved the Christmas Holidays and took great joy in decorating the home—inside and out—that my siblings and I grew up in, in Hoboken, NJ. He also did the decorations for his local Elk's Club and Knights of Columbus. The last photo of him was taking at the Elks Lodge 74. According to Rick Gerbehy PER, Dad was part of a new group that brought a great lodge back to life. Love you dad.
