Where Has Christmas Gone?

Is it just me, or is everyone else not over the fact that Christmas has come and gone so quickly? I feel like every year, the excitement over Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving, and then we blink and it's gone. I was one of those people that listened to 106.7 FM radio the day after our feast, up until the day after Christmas. I loved hearing the Christmas music on my way to and from work. I was probably that person that you passed while driving, singing at the top of her lungs and dancing. In my opinion, the music makes the holiday that much better, that much more cheerful.

Like last year, I spent Christmas Eve at the hospital, packing up bags of toys for the boys and girls to wake up to on Christmas morning. It's more work than you think, but well worth it, even if I don't see their smiles in the morning or hear their squels, I know they're happy. 

I rushed home that afternoon to make it back to my house before our guests arrived for Christmas Eve dinner. We have not let any year go by without this holiday tradition. I was home in no time, changing and getting ready for the night ahead. As my brother lit the sternos and the smells of the food lingered in the air, my stomach growled and I couldn't wait for the night to start! Guests slowly started to arrive, and the night slipped on by. Our conversations filled the house, and our bellies grew full. We lasted all night without taking pictures by the tree, another tradition that I'm sure my boyfriend could live without, but as people started leaving, we called them one by one over to our tree to take pictures. Taking pictures is something I won't ever give up, because they last forever and I love looking back over the years at events I've been to, experiences I've gone through, and people I've spent time with. 

I slipped into a dreamless sleep that night, with a smile on my face as I looked forward to Christmas morning. No matter how old I am, I think I'll continue to wake up early and excited on Christmas. I spent the morning in my pjs with my family. We opened presents, and then put on Christmas movies all morning. I scored a few workout outfits (VSX & Asics), as well as tons of gift cards and fitness related items. 

My mom cooked us our usual Christmas morning breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast, and of course, cinnamon rolls. I ate everything, throwing my "lean, clean , and green" rule book out for the day. Life is all about balance, and if you can't have a cinnamon roll drenched in frosting, what kind of life are you living?! 

After breakfast, we continued to watch movies. I even got my dad to watch Frozen. Thanks to my job, I was able to sing every song that came on. He just loved that, ha. Later that evening, I finally got dressed (before I fell asleep on the couch) and headed to Sal's house to spend time with his family. I went just in time to enjoy  dinner, which was delicious. They could spend all day at the table, first slowly enjoying appetizers, then moving onto courses, and eventually settling down with dessert - it could last hours, which is nice and all, but not something I like to do - I mean who wants to wait all day to eat or spend all day eating? 

Sal and I didn't exchange gifts again this year, instead we plan on using the money we would have spent (and then some) on a trip far, far away, just the two of us. I'm thinking some place tropical? 

It was the perfect balance of food, family, and memory making, and I honestly would not have had it any other way. 

As much as I wish it was still the holiday season, I'll tell you one thing I don't miss about Christmas being over, holiday traffic. 

Winter Traditions

Aside from going to see the tree in NYC every year, there are a few other traditions that happen every time the cold weather hits . It's funny how one year you decide to do something, and the next it becomes tradition. It's as if there is no way that you can let this year pass without doing it. It never has to be some grand event either, it can honestly even just include yourself - whether it's watching a movie every Christmas day, or eating a special meal on New Year's Eve. Sometimes, though, traditions just stop... it could be because you've grown out of it, you can't seem to find the time, or you just don't want to do it anymore.

I created a winter to-do list this year, of things I wanted to do, which included obvious things like seeing the tree in the city, making a gingerbread house, and driving around aimlessly looking at Christmas lights. Needless to say, when winter rolled around and the holiday seasons snuck up on me, I ditched the to-do list, and decided that whatever was to happen, would happen, and I didn't need a list to check off in order to make memories with my family and loved ones. As you saw from my last post, Sal and I did make it to the tree, and we even got to look at Christmas lights together! We drove around staring at the bright, shiny lights that made the streets feel magical. Sal knew a couple of special places where the lights covered every inch of the house. We even decided to have a contest of who could find the most penguins, and to be honest, we found quite a few christmas pigs in the process. (I won, in case you were wondering). We talked all night, and stopped to pick up some hot chocolate, which is the perfect drink to have when you're in your nice warm car, staring at the lights. We got to thinking though, how weird it would be if you drove around and stared at people's houses on any night during the year... how it's not creepy when there are lights on the houses... but how creepy it'd be coming to a stop in front of a house to just stare... weirddddd.

Not only did that tradition continue, but I was able to make my grandma's cookies with my mom, brother, and cousin. It used to be my mom who made them for the holidays, and then my brother joined in, and quite recently I have helped out. We added my cousin to the list this year, and it just made it that much better, that much memorable. To make these special cookies though, it takes at least three days... one day to make the dough, which must be chilled at least overnight... one day to bake them, and another to ice them. We were all able to make the dough and bake them together, making silly comments about the other ones dough like we were in competition with each other. Eventually putting Elf on, the movie that must be playing when we bake them, and watching the oven, making sure not to burn them. 

It didn't even matter when some of the cookies came out funny looking, what mattered was that we were continuing my great grandmother's legacy, and baking cookies that were in my family for generations, for our loved ones to enjoy. We were baking them together, creating our own memories, as she had with those who she baked with. These everlasting memories will be what we remember, not the way the cookie tasted... okay maybe that too, because these cookies are really that delicious.

Some traditions fell through the crack this year, like our gingerbread contest, but we just didn't have time for it. We bought the gingerbread houses, and then every time we had tried to plan to put them together, someone had something else to do. We even tried doing them after Christmas, but at that point, no one really was in the spirit to do them. We figured we'd save them for next year, because who really eats a gingerbread house anyways, right? So it's not like they'd go bad. There's always Christmas in July!

Traditions truly teach us more about ourselves each year... what we're willing to hold on to and continue, and what we push aside and forget about. What's really important to us will continue on, and what isn't will be forgotten. 

7 Years Since 2007

When Sal and I first started dating, we would always joke, saying "next year." As if we weren't going to be dating next year, as if we might kill each other before we get to the next year, but look at us now... seven years later. If you asked me I don't know that I would have guessed we'd still be together, but we are and I would not have changed a thing. Every obstacle we faced, made us stronger than before. When I pushed, he pulled, and eventually I ended up pulling too. It's amazing how fast time goes... The days are slow, but before we know it, time slips away and we're looking back on pictures we took 7 years ago... 2,555 days ago. 

I feel like we've done it all together, from vacations up and down the east coast and islands, to extravagant dinners and dates, special occasions spent with one another's families, and lazy days curled up in one another. 

This year Sal was at a loss as to what to do, having pulled together such incredible anniversaries for the past seven years, including a cruise around the city, trips to Rockefeller Center, and delicious dinners. He turned to Groupon, which turned out to be such a great decision. He knows how much I love wine, being that we have been to many wineries and wine trails, so he typed in "dinner and wine." Turns out Groupon was offering a deal for the Wine Bar in NYC - 6 wines to taste, 2 cheese plates, two entrees, and a bottle of wine to take home for a price that no one could have passed up. He quickly bought it, made reservations, and picked me up on the night of our anniversary with flowers in his hand, after we went to kickboxing and showered up. 

We arrived in the city a little earlier than our reservations, so we strolled to the resturant after finding parking. They took us as soon as we arrived, and even though we ended up sitting at the bar, we were more than happy to pass up a table, because we had much more space at the bar, and it was definitely more comfortable. 

We immediately started off with our wine tasting, paired nicely with a cheese plate. Another wine, and we placed our orders... Another wine and our orders arrived - skirt steak for Sal and chicken Milanese for me. It was by far, the best chicken Milanese I've ever had, especially paired with the wine we were given. Even though the deal didn't include a dessert, we decided to have one anyways... We chose two cannolis, the perfect way to end such a good dinner.

The wine hit us as we wrapped up our meals, but we just kept enjoying one another's company, and eventually found ourselves heading towards the tree with our bottle of wine in tow - somewhere Sal vowed he would not go this year. 

It wasn't cold, but even if it was I don't think I would have paid any attention to it.  The magic and wonder of Christmas in NYC is enough to make anyone forget about the cold... It's as if you're a child in Disney and even after hours of running around the park, you don't feel your legs hurting. We took our annual pictures by the tree, we watched the video displayed on the nearby building, and we walked hand in hand admiring the lights in every tree, the decorated window displays, and the overgrown holiday soldiers, ornaments, and Christmas lights. We didn't leave though until Sal bought and ate his dirty water dogs. I, for one, passed those up rather quickly... 

We fell in love a little deeper and our bonds grew a little stronger that night. These last 7 years together were beyond words, here's to another 7 more after that... 7, 7, 7, 7! 

Breakdown after Breakdown

It's not unusual for me to breakdown, when the stress or anxiety becomes too much, it's almost always likely to spill over. These breakdowns occurred more often in college, as the homework piled up and the course load wore me down. At that time in my life I had to complete assignments, tests, and papers, while working a part time job, volunteering, and eventually interning. Breakdowns were bound to happen. However, now I don't have school, though I'm thinking about going back, but I do work a 40 hour full time job, traveling to and from work for 10 hours total a week as well. In some ways, my job as a Child Life Specialist requires me to be a sponge, soaking up all of the pain and suffering of every potent that I come in contact with. My personality enables me to get through this each and every day, but it might've piled up subconsciously, without my notice. When I have days off from work, I am able to dissociate from work, and enjoy my days off, especially when I'm traveling, going off on another adventure. Lately though, with all this snow, I haven't been able to go anywhere, and my "weekends" off have been spent inside. Sure I get away to the gym, or to dinner with Sal, but for the most part I feel as if I'm stuck inside. Everyone seems to be busy with their lives while I'm off. I mean, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are no ones ideal days off, especially when all of your friends work a Monday- Friday job.

Thankfully, Sal has more often than not, been there for me during these breakdowns. We sit down, and through tears (mostly mine, okay all mine), we figure out my thoughts, and how to work through it. In the past, it's been easy, take it one assignment at a time, Sal will help by reading a paper or aiding in my studies, but now I'm an adult, and adult with a real job in the real world. It's been that way for almost a year now, so it doesn't come as a shock to hear it. This time it was more difficult to fix, of course. We figured out an easier solution, after he calmed me and I was able to see reason. I would make a to-do list of all the things I've been wanting to accomplish, including some of the goals on my 2014 resolution list. It would be things I could do on my own, instead of relying on others. I would take each day as it came, and if I had to lay in bed for the day due to snow, I would, without complaint. This winter has taught me that some things happen, and you can't control it, so you have to take what it is and make the best of it.

It helps when someone is there to support you during these times, but it's also important to boost yourself back up as well. Remember the little things in life that make the day that much better... a good workout at the gym, a hot cup of tea, a good book, a new DIY project or recipe you want to test out. It doesn't have to be something huge or luxurious, only something that makes you brings about those feelings of happiness, even if it's just a small smile at the end of the day. It's important to take days and make them yours, regardless of the weather. It's something I'm still learning, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.