Christmas Recap 2011

First Thing:
What was Christmas this year for me?  It was a whole lot of crazy.

After arriving at the hotel at 9:30 and enjoying a steak and shrimp pasta dinner at the in house restaurant, Nate and I made our way upstairs to our room to end Christmas Eve with some sparkling wine.

 Thank you room 704 for providing the start to an interesting and nontraditional (to say the least) Christmas.

We woke up on Christmas Day around 10:00 am and lazily packed our bags to head out to brunch at IHOP.  There are many crazy individuals out on Christmas Day.  I kept thinking, "What are all these people doing out today?"  Then I realized I was one of those.  I was one of those who flocked to the only place open at 11:30.

And then we hopped in the car and drove the 5 hours home.  This was basically my view driving from Lincoln to Omaha to Des Moines to Omaha to Lincoln to Greeley to Loveland to Greeley to Wichita to Grand Prairie.  We then exchanged gifts and after opening the many Christmas cards we received in the mail while we were gone, jumped in the car and headed to Applebee's to enjoy a gift card.  Again I found myself thinking, "What are all these people doing out today?"

Second Thing:
Nate kept saying that this Christmas was what we made of it and he enjoyed doing whatever we wanted.  He has a point but I still missed the traditional Christmas.  I couldn't quite get it to feel like Christmas that weekend although I tried.  I guess our Christmas tradition is driving on Christmas and eventually when we stop that madness it won't feel so much like Christmas since we won't be traveling.  I know we'll look back on this Christmas and laugh at how unique it was. Until then, I'm still trying to make it feel like Christmas for me.

New Year

First Thing:
I'm sitting here watching My Sister's Keeper on New Year's Eve with my entire family in the living room. There's a fire in the fireplace and cake and truffles on the counter. A pot of coffee is brewing and we're prepared to bring in the new year in our low key way. I can't remember the last time my entire family spent New Year's Eve together and it's wonderful and I'm not sure that it will ever be this way again. We'll have a new addition to our family, a boy, for the first time ever. And I'm so excited for that but it's nice to cherish these moments with my family because who knows that the future holds and where I'll be living in a year or how I'll be celebrating New Year's Eve.
Second Thing:
2010 holds many exciting things: new roommates, graduation, a new job, a marriage, another overseas adventure, a new home, and lots and lots more unknowns. Sometimes the unknown scares me, but this time it doesn't despite the many unknowns that are ahead. I have my last semester of college to celebrate and then I get to face the rest of the unknowns with my Mr. Norton.
There's an hour left until the best year of my life will begin. And tomorrow marks the 7-4=3 equation (which could possibly be the 8-4=4 equation, maybe half way there maybe more, that remains unknown). It doesn't matter though it'll fly by and I'll be "holding heaven in my arms in 2,640 hours" . . . maybe. (That is for my roomies who love updates as much as I do). lol. Happy 2010!

Christmas Eve

First Thing:
Today lunch was spent with lots and lots of cousins which was nice because some of them I haven't seen in a long time. I got to compare wedding notes with my cousin Ashley because she's getting married on August 3rd. It was nice to laugh and be merry today.

Second Thing:
I can't wait to attend the Christmas Eve candle light service with Nate. I went tonight with my family and it was so wonderful. (the laughing with my sister was also wonderful). I've never spent a holiday together with Nate and I am so excited for my first one. I'm already collecting ideas for decorating my home and making plans on when to visit each side of our family. I know it's a year away but last Christmas seems just like yesterday. Last year the night before he left Colorado fro Nebraska he told me to start looking at engagement rings and a year later I'm in the middle of planning a wedding and awaiting his return. Tonight will be filled with good food, watching A Christmas Carol, baking slice and bake cookies, and wrapping more gifts. Merry Christmas 2009. Who knows what Christmas 2010 will bring but I do know that it will be even more merry than this year. (I'll have my husband next to me, I'll actually get to watch him open his gifts, and I'll be with my wonderful families).