Happy Holidays Indeed

So, as it turns out, Adam was right (I hate admitting this, but it seems so often to be the case). Christmas was wonderful! For starters, we got lots of play time in with our niece and nephew,(I am now a Hungry Hungry Hippos Champion) and my best friend Cydney was kind enough to take them out to her barn to ride her horse and play with her miniature ponies and donkey. We had several nights of staying up with Adam's sister and her husband, whom we love very much! Two nights before Christmas, Adam and I snuck out and set up the tree, which no one had brought down yet, which was one of my favorite thing we did all break, a bit like playing elves!
For Christmas Eve, we were invited to Cydney's mother's house, which was really nice. I even tried some of the tofu ribs and have to say, I'm a fan!!! We did Christmas with them there, Candy gave us all the makings of a homemade date via Williams and Sonoma, and a gift card for a night out, it was very sweet. Cyd & Brandon were a bit more adventurous...we both got one of Cydney's famous chocolate dipped pears, and I got my very own....3 dimensional unicorn mug!!! (You know your're jealous!!) Even better, she got Adam an oil diffuser that's a giant dinosaur guarding its eggs....they make me laugh so hard sometimes. Oh! And in keeping with meatetarian v vegetarian t-shirts, the vegetarians gave him a new one from the collection "I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain just to eat lettuce." :) Following my family's tradition, Adam and I made it to midnight mass by ourselves, and then quietly snuck in to the house, knowing we only had a couple hours of sleep before the kids would wake us up with the excitement of Santa's visit. Christmas morning was wonderful, Cynthia and I spent a good deal of time getting ready together in the bathroom, after it always being Ry and me, it's fun to have a big sister now, especially one with a sense of humor! Christmas day had the whole family together and presents being passed every direction, Adam surprised me with gifts from Santa, since we had decided to do gifts for our ever-expanding family instead of each other. Imagine my surprise when there were 3 packages under the tree for me! (Don't worry! I have his too, but am saving them for Christmas at my parent's house!!) I was given my traditional Christmas Nutcracker, since I collect them, and this one was beautiful, and my tallest at two feet! Adam also got me a new Steinbach ornament for our tree, "something a little Irish and a little German, since I missed my family", it was the Irish Steinbach. And last, but not least, he managed to find a Lenox 2008 "Our First Christmas" ornament!!! I was so sad no one had gotten us one last year, but felt silly buying one now, it was absolutely perfect!

The rest of Christmas was spent between the McCulloughs with dinner and games and back at the Owens house, where we taught the games to the rest of the family. I forget until I have moments like Christmas day, how lucky I really am to have such a wonderful and loving family, O'Connells, Fishers, Owens, Elliots and the like! It was a very happy Christmas, and one I'll treasure.

Christmas Emotions

So, I am trying hard, hard hard to be excited about Christmas this year, but it's not really happening. While I'm happy we'll get to celebrate with Cynthia & Mark (the best in-laws ever, seriously) and the kids, and I know we'll have fun....It's hard not to be completely disapointed that we're missing Christmas with my family, again, in Hawaii, again...One of the difficulties of marriage I hadn't put too much thought into--not having your parents pay to fly you everywhere (at least when it's the two of you we're talking about). :( To most people, reading that they would think it's Hawaii I'm bummed over, wrong! (well, sort of) I would obviously be crazy not to want to be in Hawaii versus Amarillo (have you been to Amarillo?!?!), but it's the whole Christmas experiece with my family and my grandparents I miss. We were unable to go last year because we had just gotten married, and this year we had to buy a new car...there's always something! My in-laws are amazing, and I feel so blessed to have them, but they're not my crazy parents, and there's no Ryan to tease, no Pappy to call me Geraldine or a Nana to insist we go to Church and bake at every given opportunity. It's not the same. It doesn't feel like Christmas without all that...It just feels like a strange long-weekend. *shrug* I know once we're all together, with Elizabeth & Ethan running through the house, Jacob & Leticia over talking about the baby, and Mark & Cynthia to joke with my sadness will fade and give way to laughter. But I know at one point on Christmas day, I will sneak off to cry quietly and compose myself, missing the holiday I love with the people who understand me best. For now, there are meals to plan, and people to see and the new traditions Adam and I are creating for ourselves. Starting 3 years ago, we began a tradition of stocking-ninjas!!! (yes, you read that right) We go to the store the week of Christmas and secretly buy goodies to pile into the stockings, candy, silly toothbrushes, razors--the important stuff, obviously! ;) We've also continued my family's tradition of midnight mass on Christmas Eve, a lonely tradition when we're without them, as no one else every wants to go. I have to admit though, there's something oddly romantic about being alone with Adam in a beautiful church at midnight, celebrating the birth of the most important child. These are memories I am saving, memories I know I'll appreciate the older and busier we get.

A Young Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving is normally a holiday my family travels for. Not to visit family, usually, but to get away from it all. In high school, it was typically Italy we went to, later when I was in college it was New Orleans, or somewhere else across the US. Last year, we were in Amarillo and had a great time. We had a full house-my cousin and her husband came down from Oklahoma, and Adam's parents and oldest brother joined us too. This year, with the O'Connells in DC, we were invited to join Shannon and Kyle once again for Thanksgiving, this time at their place in Oklahoma City. We were all a little nervous since it was four 20-somethings with no Thanksgiving experience making everything. We soon discovered our apprehension was unfounded---Shannon did an amazing job with all the food, just look at that turkey!!!

I was very proud, because this year I attempted to make a pumpkin cheesecake, my first ever. It turned out to be fabulous!!! I think I found a new Owens tradition!

The weekend was so much fun, Adam and Kyle conquered a puzzle and braved Black Friday for a new one (yes, really), we had hobo dinners in their backyard firepit, and even went out to find their very first real Christmas Tree. We also discovered the magic that is Ghirardelli peppermint chocolate coffee! Meg was a doll the whole time. I couldn't believe how much bigger she had gotten in the last 3 months! She just quietly sits and observes, taking everything in.

Of all the pictures I caught this weekend, this one was definitely my favorite....

We had a wonderful time, and it lasted just long enough. On the drive away, I immediately popped in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Album, and began dreaming up our plans to hang Christmas lights and put out all our Holiday decorations. I LOVE this time of year!

Ghosts, and Goblins, and Trick-or-Treaters Oh My

Halloween--easily one of Adam's favorite holidays, and who can argue with that? You get to dress up, act ridiculous, dance around and be silly---people expect it of you! We had grand plans for this years costumes, but they turned out to be a bit too grand, so we stepped it down a notch and went with our backups. The week before Halloween, every year, our friends the Leslies have a big blow out bash in honor of Matt's birthday. The only rule, you MUST dress up. (Let me remind you, that within our circle of friends, we tend to be the youngest, these are our heroes, people in their 30s committed to dressing up for Halloween)This year Adam and I went as Bunnicula and Raggedy Anne--a total success! Adam even went so far as to wear prosthetic vampire teeth! On the way to the Leslies, we were stopped at a stoplight when a car next to us motioned for us to roll down the window so that they might take our picture. It took me a minute to figure out why, I had forgotten for a moment that I was wearing yarn hair in pigtails and Adam was sporting some bunny ears as we made our way down Seminary.

The party was great, as it always was, dancing, a fire in the backyard, and as many taquitos as you could possibly want, haha. Of our friends who attended, we had, Super Woman after 3 kids, Michael Jackson (obviously my favorite), Wall St, Lady Gaga, Rosie the Riveter, and Marla via Fightclub.

Though there is no telling where we will be for Halloween next year, our costume plans are already forming and we will only be going for bigger and better!

U2 Concert

For Adam's birthday, my parents got us tickets to see U2 in Concert in Arlington!!! It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! Muse opened for them, and it was at the new Cowboy's stadium, which was really awesome. My parents and Ryan had gone the month before in DC, and told is it was one of the best concerts they'd ever been to. That's a pretty big statement, but means a lot coming from my parents, who are concert experts. :) We danced and sang through the concert, and enjoyed what awesome performers U2 is.

The best was how they used the concert venue to try and bring awareness to social issues around the world. After the concert, we went out for drinks with our friends Jen & Pat, and were laughing as we heard a girl inside singing "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in bad karaoke. *shudder* All in a all, a wonderful night!! Adam and I had a blast, "Thank you Mom & Dad!!!"

A Year of Wedded Bliss

Yesterday marked our 1st Wedding Anniversary!!! It went by so, so fast!! We had a wonderful day. We slept in, and I woke to find Adam had brought home pink & yellow roses (my favorite) and was making Eggs Benedict (another favorite!) We spent the day together at the Botanical Gardens, walking, talking and reminiscing. The best part of the evening, is when we got all dressed up and went out to dinner at the amazing Old Warsaw in downtown Dallas. They've been in Dallas for over 60 years, and they're wonderful! They're also the restaurant that catered our wedding. We were seated in a corner booth and sipped our wine while being serenaded by a violinist. We were there almost 3 hours! I wish I had thought to bring my camera, but I didn't, so, no pictures of our magical night. We spent most of the evening talking about what we wanted the next few years to look like, and all the plans we wanted to make. It was completely romantic and perfect, I couldn't be happier. Happy Anniversary Adam, I love you!

Happy Birthday

Happy 24th Birthday Adadadadadadam!!!!