Hello!  I feel like I haven’t really talked to you since before Christmas.  But that’s kind of how the holidays go, right?  There is the huge rush to Christmas and then that weird transition time from Christmas to the new year.  This pretty much sums it up: 

Full of cheese or not, I hope you had a great holiday season.  I know I did.  Christmas was full of family and food and just some downtime.  I forget how nice it is to have absolutely no agenda.  I should try that more often…

Adam and I spend the day before Christmas Eve and then most of Christmas Eve with his side of the family.  Remember how I told you there are like a million of them?  I think that number grows even bigger at Christmas!  It’s amazing though to have all those people around and the stack of presents under the tree is eye-popping.  Plus, the food is delicious and there is always plenty of it to go around.

About noon-ish on Christmas Eve we headed over to my parent’s house so we could spend Christmas day with them.  My sister and her husband had been in Indiana visiting Andy’s side of the family and unfortunately got hit with some stomach/flu/virus/food poisoning thing.  They weren’t sure what it was, but it wasn’t fun and it also meant they would miss Christmas day with us.

But instead of letting that put a damper on the fun, we just changed things up.  Christmas Eve night, we stopped at Starbucks (who were amazingly still open at 6:30) for some hot cocoa and then drove to my sister’s apartment.  We gathered outside around their balcony and called them to the window and then sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas.  Even though we dragged them out of bed, I think the appreciated the sentiment.  After the impromptu caroling, we drove around looking at Christmas lights before heading home and waiting for Santa!

Christmas morning, I woke up at approximately 4:35 am like I usually do and wandered downstairs to get my first look at the Christmas tree.  I do this every year and it’s one of my favorite parts of the day.  When I was little, I was more focused on checking out the presents, but now I just like to take in the peace and serenity of the lit tree in the dark.  Call it a Christmas meditation, but it sets the whole tone for the day.

Once everyone else woke up at normal human being times, we started the day.  Stockings, brunch, cookie making, and more all commenced.  We also packed up a small feast and presents to take over to the sick house.  Yes, I know it’s weird to bring food over to people who might possibly be dealing with a stomach bug, but it’s Christmas.  Everyone needs to have a little food in the fridge even if they aren’t going to eat it.  

We also snapped our annual Christmas picture while we were there.  It was a little different with facemasks (not taking any chances!) and my sister laid out on the couch, but it was still full of love and togetherness.

After Christmas, I was originally tapped to take care of Bronson while Jodie and Andy went to Detroit but they were able to get him a spot at a doggy daycare so I didn’t have to spend time at their house which might possibly be infected.  Instead, I stayed with my parents for a few days and just hung out with them.  It was nice to get some quality time with them and it’s something I always cherish.

For NYE, Adam and I celebrated our own Christmas.  We usually save our Christmas for after all our family gatherings.  It makes it more special and it extends the Christmas cheer for just a little longer.  We rang in the new year with matching PJ’s, terrible Netflix Christmas movies, and food.  Lots of food. 

Whew!  This turned into a long recap of the holidays! If you made it this far, congratulations!  Anyways, I think it’s easy to see that I had a great Christmas and I’m ready for what 2018 has to bring.  There are a lot of changes and transitions happening (which I might share eventually) but overall, I’m welcoming them.  Which is a strange thing for me to do because I am historically NOT a fan of change.  But it’s time and I’m ready.  I guess you hit 30 and start to get adult-ish?

Nah.

I’ll be back Friday with some new things and maybe even my word for the year.  I haven’t decided if I’m doing that this year, but I do know big things will be happening in 2018.

See you soon!