December in Pictures

That came and went in a flash! Strange as it sounds, I feel like I was saturated in Christmas yet nearly missed it altogether. Something about working in retail, I guess... Anyway, Christmas stressed me out this year. December was a busy month and the few extra challenges that come with making your own holiday cheer put me under. I caught cold for a few days a week before Christmas; it passed quickly but made me slow down and calm down a bit.

It wasn't all bad though. In fact, there were a lot of highlights. As I mentioned in the last post, I started going to my friend's gym as a guest, and I've decided to keep going. It will be a change of pace, but I think it will be worthwhile. I tried as much as I could this month to work on holiday traditions and festivities...baking, making cards, holiday crafts. A couple weeks ago, thanks to Mom and Dad, we attended The Nutcracker ballet. It was beautiful, all of it--the opera house, the music, the dancers, the sweet children, and having Nathan there for the first time.

Our Christmas itself was relaxing and cozy. I worked until early evening Christmas Eve, and at home we made spinach lasagna and chex mix then settled in for a movie. Christmas morning we slept in, had cinnamon rolls and coffee, and opened our stockings and packages (thank you, all!) We bummed around the house the rest of the day until we met up with Christie and Kevin for Chinese food and cinema (True Grit, thumbs up).

Phew! That brings us to now, the day after Christmas: I worked today but was sent home early because we're having a blizzard--perhaps a foot of snow! So here we are, warm in our house, enjoying leftovers and playing with new toys--for me, a new MacBook (xo Nathan) and for Nathan, an Xbox 360 from yours truly. And what did Nathan bring home this morning before the storm hit? A television. We were good to each other this year.

I hope you were good to each other and yourselves this year, too! Love from New England.

xo

first cookies of the season: mini hazelnut sandwiches

Night out to The Nutcracker ballet

Our first big snow and the twinkling lights on Lewis Road

O Little Tanenbaum

Our cozy Christmas Eve at home

The annual spinach lasagna tradition continues at our house...delicious

Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, hot from the oven

Bacon Spread, a salty stocking stuffer from Seattle!

I love my new MacBook Air! Thanks Santa....uh, Nathan!

Blizzarding in New England, the day after Christmas