So this is Christmas...

Well not yet, but close.

I feel like now that the semester is over, and I'm not constantly doing homework or studying I feel like I can fully enjoy the holiday season.  On Friday after finals I went Christmas shopping and got most of it done.  Today I made Christmas cookies with my mom, and then there will be lots of preparation for the holiday this week and next week.  These past few Christmases have been a little different.  

When my brother and I were younger, Christmas Eve was always our night at home, just the four of us.  We would have a huge dinner, relax, watch Christmas movies, and I would wrap my dad's presents from my mom, and my mom's presents from my dad.  Then I would always wake up super early the next morning, wake up Sean which he wasn't very fond of, and then we would wait until our parents woke up to open our presents and our stockings.  We'd do the present thing and then rush to get ready to go my grandma's on the north side.  We would meet my family and have a huge breakfast and then open gifts.  Every year we were supposed to switch off between starting oldest to youngest, and then youngest to oldest.  But it being my dad's side and I'm the youngest we always started with me every year.  Right after gifts my parents, Sean and myself would leave and sprint out to Schaumburg to see my Great Aunt Marilyn.  We would hang out, open gifts from her, and then move onto to Elgin.  My uncle and my aunt (mom's side) had this huge gorgeous house.  And my mom's family is big and I mean big so there were always a ton of presents under the tree, and then they would make individual stockings with your names on them and fill them with candy and lottery tickets and then hang out across the railings and banisters on their stairs.  We would have dinner, dessert then presents.  After presents we would leave to get home and then usually play with our new toys or something until bed.

Within the past few years a lot has changed.  My aunt and uncle who lived in Elgin moved to New Mexico so that changed, my grandma moved to Wisconsin, different family members got married and had their own lives to lead with their new family traditions.  Now we just make Christmas Day our day, now the six of us mom, dad, Sean, Stephanie, myself, and Noelle (our dog).  We still get up and do presents, and then we do more presents when Sean and Stephanie come over, and whomever ever else, usually my brother's friends come over, and then we have dinner and just relax.  This year that's the plan but also I'm celebrating Christmas twice which is nice, and I'm really excited for.  Then on New Year's Eve my cousin is getting married at the Barn of Barrington.  There's the ceremony, dinner, dancing, and then the countdown at midnight.  I'm really excited for this wedding.  Chris taught me how to waltz and then we have also been practicing some other dance moves, according to him we have to show them what we got.  But the competition is going to be stiff, my parents are great dancers, and so is my brother so we will see.  But I'm excited that I get to spend New Year's Eve with my whole family, and Chris as well.  It's going to be a great night, and I cannot wait.  And like I said in a previous post, I am sure that I will have the best date there :].

I hope everyone's holidays go wonderfully, be safe, stay healthy, and I wish great things for everyone in the New Year.

Procrastination

I suppose I should start studying or do some work on my final papers but I'm not in the mood.  I kind of just want to take this last day of relaxation before I start really cracking down and begin preparing for next week.  I work from 4 to 9 today but then after work couch time with Chris. I love just sitting on the couch with him, watch tv or a movie.  I usually fall asleep or we both do but it's nice to just relax and forget about what needs to be done for a little while.  But I'm so glad that next week is the last week of school.  That month break is going to be great.  

So last week was Thanksgiving and there are many things I am thankful for.  To the basics to the little things in life.  Of course I'm thankful for my family, they shaped who I am and who I still continue to be.  They are there as constant support, when others crap out on you and you can't rely on anyone else.  They give you unconditional love all the time, no hesitations or questions asked.  I'm thankful for the friends I have.  Granted I only have a few but I like it better that way.  I'd rather have a few close friends than a ton of acquaintances.  They are there for when you need an outside perspective and the truth.  They are also there for support when you need them, but also to just be able to have fun with and relax.  Some friends are the sisters that I've never had but maybe it was planned to be that way.  I got a brother but it was made that was so I could meet friends who could be my sisters.  I'm thankful for my boyfriend.  He's not only a boyfriend but a friend as well.  We have our ups and downs but mostly up's.  I'm thankful that he can pull me out of the worse moods ever and just make me laugh.  I'm thankful for our couch time, car drives, and text messages.  I'm thankful that I can feel love from him, from my friends, from my family.  I'm thankful for the blessing of being able to wake up every morning, and have a new day.  Thankful for my job, my house, my education.  The basics but the most important.  Then there are the little things.  Vitamin Water, fresh coffee every morning, those caramel hot chocolates from Starbucks, sweater dresses with black opaque tights, Forever 21 in general, those World Market sea salt and cracked black pepper chips, being able to watched missed episodes of Gossip Girl online.  I think I need to learn to appreciate the little things in life a lot more, and not take so much for granted.  I think I also need to learn to relax a little bit more, and not let myself get so stressed out and crazy over things.  Maybe these could be my resolutions for 2009?