Belated Merry Christmas!!

Belated Merry Christmas to you all (except those of you who I saw over Christmas...in which case, you already got yours). I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoyed the Christmas season!! I had a nice trip home to Colorado with my family. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures...so this one will have to suffice.
My trip started off last Sunday with a totally wonderful and uneventful flight to Colorado. My parents had picked up take-out from my favorite restaurant and we went home and mowed down on some moo goo gai pan and pepper steak. The week was spent mostly indoors in my pajamas hanging with the family. My dad and I did some last minutes shopping on Christmas Eve and I made a couple of trips to the grocery store with my ma. But, other than that...it was a lot of lounging, playing games, and music swapping. Quite a nice rest. It snowed pretty hard on Monday night and we woke up to a beautifully white Christmas (one more reason to stay at home in our pajamas). Santa was very generous and I got some gifts that will help me fulfill my (yet to be determined) New Year's Resolutions.

The Christmas Miracle this year was that Desiree (my sister) actually like the gift I got her!! For those of you who don't know Desiree, she is really hard to buy for and she is not that good at hiding her disappointment when she doesn't like a gift. Many months ago I was shopping at Costco and I saw that they had all of the seasons of Quantum Leap on DVD. I picked up season 5 for Desiree and had planned to give it to her for her birthday, but I forgot. So, I brought it home, wrapped it up, and gave it to her for Christmas, not thinking much of it. You can't imagine my joy when she gasped with excitement upon opening the gift!! I nearly cried because I was so happy she liked it. Thanks for making it a wonderful Christmas Dezy-Wezy!!

Another highlight of the trip was a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit - 20th Century Edition. My dad usually slays us at just about every game we ever play. He is a strategist and a cut throat...bad combination. I don't think he ever even let us win at go-fish or chutes and ladders as kids. You can thank pops for my competitiveness (nature vs. nurture...hard to tell). But, we finally found a game that levels the playing field. Not only does dad have a handicap with the more recent pop culture but Desiree and I actually have a chance at answering the history and sports questions. It was neck and neck for a while as we all had our pies filled (or nearly filled) and Desiree and I were fighting for the final question. I lucked out and won the game, but it was hard fought.

On Thursday night we had a little post-holiday party and a couple of friends braved the snow and came to hang out with us. It had snowed most of the day on Thursday so we more than made up for all of the holiday food by shoveling the drive and walkway SIX times...yes...that's SIX times. We didn't want our dear friends to slip and fall on the cold hard ice. But, it made for good times. I get some sort of sick pleasure from a totally clean driveway...but it's probably because I don't live in a snowy place and shoveling is a rare treat rather than a chore. Desiree definitely didn't love it as much as me. But, she was a trooper and did some good hard work out there. And dad shoveled more than I've ever seen him before. Good family bonding in the driveway.

The Christmas party was fun since it was the one time I got to see most of my friends while I was home. Not everyone made it because of the weather, but it was fun to visit with those who were there. I got to meet Alice's BF, play a little with Amy's kids, catch up with Scott, Amy and Steffan (Cheyney, I've now heard both sides of the story), and see some of my dad's old friends that I haven't seen forever. It was great but left me feeling a little unfulfilled since I had to leave the next morning and didn't really get to spend a lot of good quality time with them.

All in all, it was a great trip. This time of year makes me especially grateful to have been blessed with a family that loves me and with friends who have stood the test of time. I have so many amazing people in my life that have helped me to become the person that I am. The people in my life have taught me how to love and be loved, even in difficult times. I always wish I could do more to be a better friend, daughter, and sister and show others the love they have shown me. This Christmas was a great reminder of that. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and know how much I love you!!