Christmas Memories

So glad Cameron loves Christmas as much as
I do!

Recently, I have noticed something, something a little exciting: this Christmas, as I sat beside the family Christmas tree (kudos to my mom, it was beautiful!), I realized the little things really bring me lots of joy, perhaps more than I thought. A good book (not surprising) can keep me entertained for hours, but put me in a kitchen with all the right ingredients, and I could probably spend the whole day just putting a dash of this, and a tad bit of that into a glorious-smelling concoction. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I opened a brand new panini maker (for the record, I could live off paninis if it was socially acceptable...). It's safe to say I had visions of sun dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella dancing in my head. Yummmm!

Then came the biggest moment of the season...drumroll?

I GOT A KITCHEN AID MIXER! Yes, the stand-up kind that makes me think of adorable little 1950s housewives. and it's RED, my absolute favorite color in the whole wide world. I am beyond excited to use it and have all kinds of plans for home-made breads and pizza dough, not to mention all the cookies and muffins.

However, what I have been unequivocally blessed with this season is a group of incredible people who constantly surround me with love and support. My family and friends mean the world to me, and I could not have been happier to spend the holidays with them. My grandmother has always loved Christmas, and I can remember her asking in June for our lists ever since I was a kid. Seeing her kid-like joy on Christmas is a memory I will always treasure, and watching my  expanding extended family laugh and talk was so fulfilling to me.

Perhaps the most meaninful gift I received this year was a box from my grandmother filled with old family photos. Everything from photos of me as a baby, my dad growing up, and my family as we grew together was included, and I must say, the note she included made me tear up.

Here's to a wonderful year, to health, to friends, and to family. May your New Year be filled with joy and the happiest of memories.

...Remember Me?

I cannot believe how long it's been since I last blogged. It's horrible.

This is me trying to keep track of my life.

In the last month, I have been getting accustomed to my new job, I have officially moved, spent a week (yes, WEEK!) without internet, washed more dishes/pots/pans/appliances in my new place than I care to count, and fallen asleep pathetically early during the week, only to go back to my parents' house every weekend to pack up all my stuff, attend Christmas parties, and continue on my path to the proverbial Loony Bin.

Whew.

I'm exhausted.

The holidays have completely suprise-attacked me. I am no where near as decked out in Christmas decorations at my new digs as I'd like to be, and I feel like I do not, and will never, have enough time to decorate before, you guessed it, I make the trek back home for Christmas.

It is for this reason that I have decided I need an unpaid personal assistant intern. He or she would need to feed my coffee addiction while keeping me headed in the correct direction, keep my schedule straight, and go grocery shopping for me (because honestly, it is not fun to live on a college diet of pizza and Ramen noodles anymore. It was fine before I had my dishes unpacked, but this is getting unreasonable).

And so help me if I have to make one more trip to Target to get a random assortment of things I can't seem to remember to write on my ever-growing list. I mean, come on, why do I keep forgetting to buy trash bags?! Wal-Mart bags are only going to work for so long until I get irritated with going to the dumpster every other day because the bag is full.

Ay.


As I look at the clock, I am realizing that I am in my 20s and thinking "gee, it's getting kind of late"...and it's 8:00. Must remember to negotiate a mandatory nap time meeting at work. Maybe after HR just laughed when I proposed my personal intern idea, they would go for this one. I'd consider it a Christmas miracle.

Anyone else feel blindsided by the calendar this year??