Welcome to 2012 everyone!
We're freshly home from holiday vacation in Wisconsin and Massachusetts and settling back down into the "real life" that 2012 brings us.
This was the third (well, technically fourth, but Salzburg was different) Christmas that Becky and I spent together, and the third year that we managed to spend time with both of our families despite the 1,000+ miles between their various homes. I fear the pattern and good luck may not hold forever, but for the past three years we've spent Christmas with one family and "fake" (aka "2nd") Christmas at New Year's with the other, and alternated which family got real Christmas.
On Christmas Eve we flew to Wisconsin to join Becky's family for the start of our vacation. (Apologies to any friends or family reading from Wisconsin who we didn't see - there was too little time and too much holiday celebrating to make it work this trip.) We got dressed up fancy and went to the Christmas Eve service at Becky's childhood church, then home to relax and wait for Santa. Her youngest sister, Jen, was home the whole time we were, and her middle sister, Angie, and her fiance, Ian, were home from Christmas Eve through Christmas evening. Which means that everyone was able to be there for present opening and the all-important-in-Wisconsin viewing of the Packers game. The rest of the week we spent relaxing, reading several Christmas books, and watching the 8th season of NCIS. And eating too many Christmas cookies (Carrie Krispies, Rice Krispie Rides Again, and Krispie Next Generation!). Not to mention of course some more quality time with Becky's family!
Mid-week we flew from Wisconsin to Massachusetts to join my family for my birthday, New Year's, and a "second Christmas" celebration. I'll save the birthday shenanigans for a future post, but suffice it to say that my loved ones made a good time out of making fun of me for being obsessed with my golden birthday. We continued with too much delicious food and lots of reading, used many many plants to protect our homes from zombies, and spent a ton of time doting on our nephews. Plus occasionally acknowledging the adult members of the family. When necessary. (Love you guys!) We rang in the New Year with Asti and chocolate cheesecake and televised viewing of Times Square.
And then we boarded a train that zoomed us back to reality. Goodbye Santa, goodbye Christmas, we will miss you and look forward to seeing you again next year! Please keep the snow at the North Pole and do not send it to New Jersey.
We're freshly home from holiday vacation in Wisconsin and Massachusetts and settling back down into the "real life" that 2012 brings us.
This was the third (well, technically fourth, but Salzburg was different) Christmas that Becky and I spent together, and the third year that we managed to spend time with both of our families despite the 1,000+ miles between their various homes. I fear the pattern and good luck may not hold forever, but for the past three years we've spent Christmas with one family and "fake" (aka "2nd") Christmas at New Year's with the other, and alternated which family got real Christmas.
On Christmas Eve we flew to Wisconsin to join Becky's family for the start of our vacation. (Apologies to any friends or family reading from Wisconsin who we didn't see - there was too little time and too much holiday celebrating to make it work this trip.) We got dressed up fancy and went to the Christmas Eve service at Becky's childhood church, then home to relax and wait for Santa. Her youngest sister, Jen, was home the whole time we were, and her middle sister, Angie, and her fiance, Ian, were home from Christmas Eve through Christmas evening. Which means that everyone was able to be there for present opening and the all-important-in-Wisconsin viewing of the Packers game. The rest of the week we spent relaxing, reading several Christmas books, and watching the 8th season of NCIS. And eating too many Christmas cookies (Carrie Krispies, Rice Krispie Rides Again, and Krispie Next Generation!). Not to mention of course some more quality time with Becky's family!
Mid-week we flew from Wisconsin to Massachusetts to join my family for my birthday, New Year's, and a "second Christmas" celebration. I'll save the birthday shenanigans for a future post, but suffice it to say that my loved ones made a good time out of making fun of me for being obsessed with my golden birthday. We continued with too much delicious food and lots of reading, used many many plants to protect our homes from zombies, and spent a ton of time doting on our nephews. Plus occasionally acknowledging the adult members of the family. When necessary. (Love you guys!) We rang in the New Year with Asti and chocolate cheesecake and televised viewing of Times Square.
And then we boarded a train that zoomed us back to reality. Goodbye Santa, goodbye Christmas, we will miss you and look forward to seeing you again next year! Please keep the snow at the North Pole and do not send it to New Jersey.
I said you had to call it second christmas in front of the boys.... you can call it whatever you like on your blog... :)
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