7 Quick Takes- Christmas Edition

--- 1 ---

I love my agency. We close for at least a week at Christmas, depending on where the days fall. This year, we are closed from the 23rd to the 3rd. I still have to take my day time calls on certain days (it's confusing.... all the other people who do my job besides me and my coworker Mike technically work for a different agency so they are only off a few days... when they are off, our phones can be off since there is a person on call during the day... when they are working and we are off, we still have to leave our phones on for emergencies since there is no one on call during the day- confused yet?) but I only deal with emergencies, which are usually few and far between. So long story not short, it's really nice to have a week+ to unwind and gear up for another year of semi-craziness. Four weeks of vacation a year makes me a happy girl.

--- 2 ---

This is the first year my sister won't be home at Christmas. Sad face! We are still sort of like 5 year olds when it comes to Christmas morning (though she isn't happy when I try to wake her up early for presents, but I've calmed down slightly over the years). So it will be sad to not have her there to be like a big kid with me. My brother and his family won't come over til the afternoon so it will be very different with just my parents and myself. I know we will still have a ton of fun, but it won't be quite the same. My mom was going to cut out stockings this year, and then decided not to. I was really happy because not having my sister AND not having my stocking is a bit too much to handle.

The "children" last year. 

--- 3 ---

Now that I know that the bishop presides over midnight mass and all the priests of the parish are also there, it makes me really want to go sometime! I have always been anti-midnight mass only because I value going to sleep at 10:30-11 and get pretty grumpy otherwise. I didn't think the best way to ring in Christmas was by being grumpy to those around me, so I've always stuck with the Christmas Eve mass. Also because I always go with my dad and I don't see either of us lasting until, and past, midnight. I told him that I want to go someday and he suggested that they could come to Raleigh one Christmas after we have a baby, and my mom could sleep/stay home with the baby while the 3 of us went to mass. I was so excited that he would even consider it! So now I'm definitely planning on checking it out one of these years!

--- 4 ---

I'm excited that Steven and I won't ever have to spend another Christmas apart. Well, we don't "have" to this year, but we are both really attached to going to our own parents' houses for Christmas and figured we'll work it out for next year, and just enjoy a last Christmas as a 'single' person this year. As much as it feels right to be at my parents' house for major holidays, it feels equally wrong to not be with Steven. We did Easter on our own last year which was really fun and is a gentle breaking in of creating our own holiday traditions. I think we agreed that next year he will come home with me for Christmas and then I will go with him that following year. I am giving him two year's notice that there will be tears shed. I'm a mommy/daddy's girl!

My sweet parents visiting me around Christmas time in 2009. Love em like crazy!

They are the best Christmas decoraters ever- my mom especially! When I walk into their house, it's like a Christmas wonderland. For years like this where the weather makes it hard to feel like it's Christmas, a couple hours at her house does the trick!

--- 5 ---

Is it strange that I feel really guilty about leaving my cat alone for Christmas? I used to pack her up and take her on the 4 hour car ride (1.5 hour car ride while in college) and then open her stocking with her on Christmas morning. She has a stocking this year that Steven will open with her on Christmas evening when he gets back to the apartment. But... but... I'm her mommy and I won't be here. Don't even get me started on the fact that her 10th birthday is while we are on our honeymoon. Had I known it ahead of time, we might have had a 4 day trip to the beach as our honeymoon so I could be back in time.

Helping Buttercup open her stocking in 2008. Ahem, yes that is a shirt you see on her. It was Christmas themed (along with the jingle bell collar). She no longer wears clothes.

--- 6 ---

Steven is coming to Spartanburg (where my parents live in SC) the day after Christmas. He is taking a train from Raleigh so we can drive back together (plus it's about the same cost as gas to get there!). I am so, so, so excited!!! He has been there once, but hasn't been back since his work schedule doesn't usually allow for much planning. My parents come here a ton and sometimes I feel bad that we don't go there more, so I'm really glad this worked out. His train gets in at 10something am on Monday and we head back early Wednesday morning, but we will pack a lot of fun into the visit!

--- 7 ---

I love board games. I mean I really, REALLY love board games. My family is kind of so-so on them. They have a lot of fun when we play, but need a lot of encouragement (read: force from me) to get started. I love Christmas because I can always talk them into a game or two!

Playing Apples to Apples in 2007... I was going to post some other 2007 Christmas pictures, but I got severely depressed at how much thinner I was back then lol. 

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