Christmas Traditions

Do you have any traditions that you do year after year to prepare and/or help you get in the mood for Christmas?

Lots of people start out their Christmas season with some Black Friday shopping. I'm not a big fan of Black Friday. I would rather spend some time lounging in bed on one of the days I get off of work. This may change next year, with a little one to get up with but for now I really enjoy sleeping in, though not as much as my husband. Being a night owl makes him sleep in later then I would prefer but......

One of my traditions is to put the Christmas tree up Thanksgiving day weekend. I love having the tree up and decorated so that I can enjoy it all month. It also doesn't come down until after my little sisters birthday in early January. The only year this hasn't happened is the first year Brad and I were married. We had a real tree so we put it up later and took it down sooner.

Another tradition that has been a part of my life for it feels like forever, is that the first or second weekend of December my family packs into one car, or two now, and head up to Michigan for a dinner concert. My parents started this tradition 25 years ago. Mom was pregnant with my brother, Devin. They have been going almost every year since then and us kids have begun attending with them as we became "old enough". This weekend is the weekend. Everyone is going except the one who was in utero for that first one. Mom and Dad went up this afternoon and Brad, Erin, Jake and I will be leaving right after work to head that way. The five hour drive may be interesting. I haven't made a drive that long since I've been pregnant and before pregnancy I would take Dramamine for a drive of that length. Hopefully it will all be ok.

I'm looking forward to starting new traditions with my new little family. Maybe we can even begin some that will carry on until my baby is ready to begin making her own traditions, maybe even ones that she will carry on herself. Until then, I'm excited about a weekend away with my family and friends. :)

Merry Christmas!

Winter what?!?!

Welcome to winter, I guess. Friday they are calling for flurries. Can you believe that?! I'm not ready for snow. I'm just starting to look forward to Christmas, but that doesn't mean that snow is in my plans yet.

I mean, who doesn't love wearing sweaters and cuddling by the fire. However, with a belly on the way, I'm not looking forward to growing out of my warm coat and wondering if I'm going to be hot or cold, do I need short sleeves or a parka. Although, in my office you always need a parka.

Actually, I'm starting to really look forward to Christmas. It's my favorite season to decorate for and food to eat. I feel all cuddly and warm during Christmas. Thinking about the Christmas shopping just makes me excited. I mean, what girl doesn't like to shop and who doesn't like to shop for other people. It just makes me smile!

I hope everyone is ready for some cold weather. Get out those scarves and hats. I wonder where mine are?

Is this a hint?

While we were opening stockings Christmas morning in Missouri I pulled out this cute little treat.
And there are directions, of course, for how to use them. :)

You don't think the hubs family is trying to tell me something, do you? I laughed again when Brad pulled these out of his stocking.

Christmas in Missouri

So, I'm sure you remember that this year I spent my first Christmas away from my family. It was an experience!



Our flight out of Columbus left at 9:50am. Being prepared for lines at security and lots of people flying out, we left the house early and got to the airport around 7:45am. The lines were almost non-existent. We were checked in and through security by 8:10am. The time hanging out at the airport and the flight to Chicago went swimmingly. Knowing our layover in Chicago was 3 hours, we head off to find some lunch. We're sitting and eating some very bland, gross airport food and Brad gets a text message alert from American Airlines saying that our flight to Kansas City has been cancelled. Not delayed, but cancelled! We did not want to be sleeping in the Chicago airport on Christmas Eve, so there was some craziness that ensued. After paying our bill and making about 8 trips back and forth between two terminals to get us both new tickets, we finally got our tickets transferred to a new airline (Delta) on a flight going from Chicago to Detroit and then Detroit to KC. So to say the least we were going to be a bit later arriving in KC then expected. On the flight to Detroit we got first class seats which equalled free alcohol and extra leg room for my 6'4" hubs, Beautiful! Detroit to KC, lucky again with the emergency exit rows.



We arrived in KC to a full blown blizzard. Sweet, now for a 45min drive to Brad's older sisters house. Brad's mom was there to pick us up and fully ready to drive us 45 mins. The roads were awful, awful. But we made it, without our luggage, of course, due to the airline change. All church services were cancelled and the roads only looked like they were going to get worse so we headed to bed.



Christmas morning we woke up to more snow and an excited 3 year old, ready to see what Santa had brought while she was sleeping. Cora (3 yrs) and Mira (7 months) were so wide awake and pumped. Santa did not disappoint! To see Cora, so excited and overwhelmed, was such a treat. Brad's younger sister (my BFF from 5th to 10th grade) came over and got her car stuck at the end of the street. But Christmas morning was very nice. I missed my family a lot, a LOT, but felt pretty good for being with Brad's family and letting him enjoy Christmas with them.



After presents, we relaxed and watched a movie. About halfway through the movie the airport delivered our luggage! Delivered? I didn't know they did that. It was nice to not have to drive back to the airport to pick it up. So all in all the first day of the trip was eventful and crazy, sad and happy, and very different for me. But good, nice and enjoyable.

Moved!

Not organized, or even unpacked, but moved! It was quite a process and the weather was wonderful for the move. Snowy and freezing. We had some awesome help, thank you! I'll post some pictures after we are more organized.

Now, to get Christmas shopping done and get packed to leave the day after tomorrow. We're off to stay with Hubs older sister for a week.

To begin soon.

Is it sad that it's December 15th and we have only really bought for my younger sister in law and youngest niece? We have definitely put off Christmas shopping this year. I feel bad shopping for Brad's family without him and I feel like I can't shop for everyone else until he's ready. I don't know I'm weird I guess. Finals will be over tomorrow though, so the moving and shopping will begin. I did accompany my mom and dad while they did some of their shopping this weekend. While out, I saw this and couldn't resist it for our youngest niece, Mira. Amy, if she already has it please let me know.
Now we have to find something that is as much fun for Cora. I'm sure we'll manage but I'm a little stumped. I haven't had to shop for a toddler girl yet. I'm looking forward to it though. Come on Thursday!

Office Decorations

So the students in the office have spent the afternoon decorating the office. We just moved into a new space so they got to be extra creative and decorate everything for the first time, instead of copying what has been done in the past. It makes me a little sad because my house doesn't look anything close to this festive. That will happen when your moving in a week though. Anyhow, here is a snippet of the decorations.

This is Amy. She was one of the masterminds behind the decorating genius. Well done Amy!

Santa can officially come to visit our office, as long as he's really little. Does your office decorate?

Tickets bought!

The tickets have been bought. I/we are officially now going to be spending my very first Christmas away from my family. This is one part of growing up and being married that I'm not entirely pleased about. Now don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see my new family and reconnect but I have never spent a Christmas without my family. Last year, our first Christmas as husband and wife, we spent Christmas morning together and then headed to my parents house around noon. Every year before that, as tradition, I spent Christmas Eve night sleeping in the same bed as my sister and Christmas Day with my whole family around me at my parents house. It will just be a change for me this year. Not all changes are bad, and this one isn't, but it is a little difficult.

Our first married Christmas

It was wonderful. Christmas eve Brad and I went with my family and all significant others to my Dad and brothers church for midnight service. All our presents were wrapped so we didn't have to stay up after church to wrap. I think this is the first year in as many as I can remember that I haven't stayed up even later to wrap presents. We woke up Christmas morning around 8:30 and had cinnamon rolls and opened 1 gift each. Around noon we packed up what was under our tree and headed to my parents. JJ had spent the morning with his biological dad so he had just gotten back when we got there. I helped Devin and Dad wrap gifts that weren't finished and we waited for Mom to get home. We started opening gifts around 4 and finished around 6.

We were surprised because my cousin Courtney was in town and came to spend a few hours with us and went to visit with Grama too. Grama decided not to come to our house this year for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. She has decided that at 99 she shouldn't have to leave her apartment unless she wants to..... and she doesn't want to.

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas. Very relaxing and great for our first Christmas as a married couple. I hope that next year we can afford to travel to see Brad's family and experience all the "exciting" things that go along with traveling during the holiday season.

Now for some pictures. :) This would be Brad choking Neala during our family picture.

And of course, the "kids" on Christmas after they got feathers everywhere from the toys in their stockings. :)Gaius showing off some of the feather mess.