Couple's Christmas

One of the difficult aspects about working in the medical field: people still get sick on the holidays.  2012 certainly has been a reminder of that.  My family has been experiencing this first hand, as my Granddad has been in and out of the hospital over the last month.  And, Tony and I knew when we graduated medical school in May that holiday time off no longer would be a guarantee.

This year, I was blessed with a glorious 4-day weekend over Christmas.  But, my other half was not so lucky... he drew the short straw and ended up having to work in the Cardiac ICU this December.  It is quite clear that heart attacks take no heed in holiday time off, as Tony ended up having to work both the Christmas Eve and Christmas shifts.

This meant no trip to NY for Christmas... we would not be enjoying "Drama Derry Doo" (aka potent champagne punch) at my family's house... 

...nor tasty home-cooked meals with Tony's family.  

We honestly were feeling a bit bummed heading into the Christmas season.  Given it is the holiday dedicated to celebrating Jesus' birth, friends and family play a pretty central role in the celebrations... after all, it wasn't just Mary and Joseph hanging out at the manger with Jesus.  Nevertheless, Tony and I were determined to make the most of this special holiday.  

In the weeks leading up to the big day, Tony and I enjoyed playing Santa by creating gift boxes to send home to family.  We had fun finding neat presents to send home.  We filled pretty boxes with Texas-style treats and festive decorations for family to enjoy.  

In the days leading up to Christmas, we planned our first (and likely last for a while) Couple's Christmas!  Given my time off, I took the head role in planning our special time together.  Butters happily kept me company during the preparations, prancing around the house in his little Santa hat.

For our Christmas Eve and Day, we enjoyed special meals filled with our favorite holiday foods... 

...prime rib, honey baked ham, homemade mashed potatoes, peppermint bark, and Christmas cookies. 

I tried some new recipes too, preparing homemade apple sauce, baked brie, and lemon vinaigrette salad topped with candied almonds and goat cheese.  

Butters (as usual) looked on longingly at the spread... and was pleased as punch to have a taste of prime rib with his dinner.  

Together, we listened to Christmas music and opened presents.  We teared up with the special reminders from home as we opened special gifts from family... especially those designed with Baby Bean in mind.  Tony and I felt like we were dating again, as we shared surprise gifts with one another.  Tony put one of my gifts in a decoy box... he certainly got me... I found my present tucked inside a Dr. Pepper fridge-pack box.

I finished up Christmas night with a special surprise for Tony.  This year, we joined many others in enjoying the Elf on the Shelf tradition.  We were a little late to the game, finding out about this cute idea just a week before Christmas.  For Tony's final gift, I created a scavenger hunt.  

Tony had to find numbered pieces of paper, 1-25, hidden in different places throughout the house... 

...using hints provided through photos of our elf, Marty.  

I was pretty proud of myself... it took Tony more than a half-an-hour to finish the game!

Overall, it turned out to be a pretty special Christmas.  It was difficult spending our first year away from home and family.  But, throughout our celebrations we were reminded over and over of our greatest blessing... each other.

Christmas Future

Since Tony and I have been together, every year has felt pretty darn great.  We have been so blessed to have one another, and that feeling has filled us with happiness year after year.  At this time last December, life felt pretty complete as we set up our Christmas tree, baked cookies, and wrapped presents together.

Then, this little fur ball arrived in mid-December.

And, suddenly Tony and I could no longer imagine how life had ever felt complete without him.  With his comical expressions, food-begging antics, expert cuddling skills, and laughable (at best) attempts at fetching, he has brought Tony and I so much happiness over the past year.

God willing, next year this photo will contain 2 little rascals.  Our hearts are already growing with the love for our little baby on the way.  I look hopefully towards future Christmases, filled with the distinct new personality to join us in the coming year.  I fully expect lots of dirty diapers, late-night wake-up calls, and scattered toys on the living room floor.  But, I know that this new addition will leave us again wondering... how had life ever felt full before?

Christmas Present (2012)

This past weekend, Tony and I had a golden day off together.  We enjoyed our special time traveling around San Antonio, taking advantage of the many Black Friday Weekend deals.  In the process, we found some additions for our growing Christmas collection.  Bringing home our new finds, we gained some motivation to put our house back together from Thanksgiving and decorate for the holiday season.  

Tony and I continued our yearly traditions... dancing to Christmas music, burning our balsam scented candle (to give our artificial tree that "real" feel without all of the pine needles), and drinking hot chocolate... all the while finding the perfect places for our decorations.  

It was fun blending a little bit of the old...

... with the new.  

And, we were pretty satisfied with the final effect.

We ended the day with one of our favorite parts of decorating... hiding the pickle!  As a kid, Santa would hide the pickle for my sisters and I to find.  The first to discover the pickle would win the coveted opportunity to open an extra Christmas present!  The gift would be shared among the sisters, but finding the pickle was kind of a BIG DEAL to us as kids.  Tony and I have made our own adaptation to this over the years, as we will hide the pickle for each other to find over and over again throughout the Christmas season.

Tony kicked off the tradition with this...

I think he will have to step up his game.  I may be pregnant, but my vision hasn't deteriorated THAT much.

Overall, I would have to say that 2012 is our best decorating year yet!  

We have come a long way from the single miniature tree we had in our first apartment.  And, it is just in time for our first child... whom will surely destroy our comfort level with anything fragile, but will bring us new joys for the holiday season.

Christmas Past

In the first few years of our relationship, Tony and I experienced Christmas decorations vicariously through our families.  Since we were in college at the time (and predominantly stuck in cramped dorm rooms), we really didn't do too much of our own holiday preparations.  We would look forward to the trip home from Ithaca to Albion, NY, where we would enjoy brightly-lit trees at our parents' homes and time off from school.

It wasn't until we moved into our first home in Buffalo that we set up our own full-sized tree.

We didn't need to buy many ornaments, as both of us already had collected quite a few over the years.

Some were gifts from family friends and relatives.  Others were homemade (including our ELEMENTARY SCHOOL creations).  Tony in particular brought several ornaments that reminded me of childhood... including a matching Ninja Turtle stocking and ball ornament

And, it was a time in our relationship when we realized a very important lesson.  When you marry someone, you have to accept all of them...

...even their creepy ornaments.

Most of my ornaments are beautiful.  One of my family friends, Mrs. Baker (aka Grandma Sue), gave my sisters and I each an ornament at Christmas time every year of our childhood.  It brings back wonderful memories of opening my special ornament during my parents' annual Christmas party.  And, I love seeing them year after year.

But, there are a select few in the bunch that some people (ie: Tony) would be happier without.

More specifically, they include...

... see-through Santa (not to be confused with Naked Santa)...

... Huge Cat Face...

...and Mutant Christmas Tree.

As we finish up our Christmas decorating for 2012, we look forward to seeing our old favorites (even the creepers) and adding a few new ornaments to the collection.  And, we have compromised on the less appealing ornaments... they will help fill in the back.

Christmas in July?

As a kid, it seemed that Thanksgiving was the magical day that really began the Holiday Season.  Santa would make his way down 34th Street in the Macy's Day Parade, and with a "Ho, Ho, Ho," he gave the go-ahead to all of the families (and retailers) to turn on the colored lights and Deck the Halls!

Over the last few years, it is obvious that marketers have been trying to get more out of the the seasonal cheer (and spending) by pushing up the start of holiday decorations, advertisements, and Christmas music.  It seems that November 1st now is the date that marks the new socially-acceptable time for starting preparations.

This has been the case for a few years now, but I was not prepared for the holiday preparations that greeted me at the start of this month.  Maybe it is this perpetually earlier start to the holiday season.  Or, maybe it was the scene that greeted me at my local H.E.B. supermarket.

Based on the little that I knew about Christmas decorating in warm locations, I pictured the outcome to be something out of Bing Crosby's rendition of Mele Kalikimaka (The Hawaiian Christmas song)... the sunny atmosphere serving as natural decoration, with a few accents to play off of a warmer Christmas theme.   I envisioned tastefully decorated palm trees and garland with lights jazzing up outdoor restaurant umbrellas.  It caught me off guard when I saw this...

...Giant, fake, plastic Christmas trees towering over the shopping center.

Walking around in my flip-flops, tank top, and shorts, it all felt a bit wrong.  It seems that decorations appropriate for colder environments were simply transplanted into this warm environment.  And, it felt about as fitting as wearing a parka to a beach party!  I couldn't help but just stand there with a confused stare.

I guess I am still getting used to Texas.  It still hasn't fully sunk in that that winter will not come with 2-feet of snow and a negative wind-chill.  And, that Christmas will come with the similar glitz as in New York without the environmental accuracy.  It might take awhile, but I will have to embrace hanging my stockings by the air conditioning with care instead of fireplace.  However, in the end, I think I will enjoy spending a mild holiday season on a sunny patio... even if means having to sit next to an inappropriately placed giant styrofoam snowman.