beloved victory

The Boyfriend’s sister had her baby this morning.  We are heading out to Ohio to see them later today.  We had this weekend planned for a while; going to see his parents and have Christmas with them.  What good timing this baby has!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

I am very much looking forward to this weekend.  Not just because it’s Christmas but because I am spending the whole weekend with my family.  Yes they drive me crazy sometimes, but only in that way a family can.  I am extremely close with my mom and my sisters and I enjoy being with them.  Tonight we are all hanging out at mom’s, eating sloppy joes and playing cards. 

Christmas Eve day, my mom, sisters and I will be going to lunch for our annual Christmas Eve lunch.  The Boyfriend will be hanging with my brother-in-law and the nephews watching football.  Christmas day will bring all of my family, extended family included, back to my mom’s for a festive Christmas dinner.  After all the extended family leaves, my immediate family will open our gifts to each other.

Since the Boyfriend’s family lives in Ohio, and between several trips he has made back home earlier this month and will be making in January, he has decided to stay in St. Louis and spend it with my family.  It’s hard spending the holidays not with your family, so I am very happy that he has decided to spend it with mine.

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I’ll talk to you all next week!

Funny Kids

Over the weekend, my family went to a friend’s birthday party.  I was unable to attend as I had a prior engagement the same night.  My mother overheard this funny conversation between a family friend and my 7-year-old nephew:

Family Friend: Where’s your aunt at tonight?

7-year-old: They had another party to go to.

FF: Who is she with?

7-YO: Her boyfriend.

FF:  Oh okay.

7-YO: I hope they get married.

Long Weekend & Short Week

This holiday weekend was really wonderful.  I spent four busy, full days hanging with the family and the Boyfriend.  Thursday truly was a day of thanks as I have a lot to be thankful for this year (getting a job, my sister and brother-in-law moving back to St. Louis, my healthy, sweet nephews, my mom recovering from her very serious and scary illness, and me finding someone special).

I had to work a little on Friday but that evening I spent with good friends, wine and lots of laughs.  Saturday I tried to shop some but it was a disappointing trip.  That evening the Boyfriend and I took the little nephews to see the Muppets movie.  It was sweet and the boys enjoyed it.  Today was sister-time, having lunch and shopping.  This evening was nice and quiet as I caught up on laundry, TV and decorated my house for Christmas.

This week will be busy.  I am leaving on Thursday to head to the Boyfriend’s home state for his sister’s wedding.  I am excited and nervous all at the same time - more family to meet.  I feel I have so much to do between now and then and work is just getting in the way.

Thanksgiving Food List

My family is pretty hardcore when it comes to planning a holiday meal.  For the big three holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter), my extended family rotates hosting the big meal.  However, the host family gives out food assignments for the rest of the family to bring.  A few weeks ago, my mom’s cousin emailed out our food assignments.  I am to bring the pumpkin pies and the Boyfriend is to bring the cranberry sauce.  Since this is the first holiday the Boyfriend will spend with me and my extended family, I am bringing his food assignment as well.  So the other day, we had this amusing conversation:

BF: I think I will bring party potatoes to Thanksgiving.

Me: No, you can’t.

BF: Um, yes I can.  I can’t show up empty-handed.

Me: You won’t be.  Your food assignment is cranberries.  I’m bringing them for you.

BF: What if I don’t want to bring cranberries?  What if I want to bring party potatoes?

Me: You have to bring cranberries.  That is your food assignment.

He will learn soon.

Birthday Weekend Recap

I had the best birthday weekend!  There were many things that made this an awesome birthday:

• Boss brought in fancy cupcakes
• Co-worker gave me a bouquet of daisies
• Got all my homework done by Friday afternoon
• Boyfriend giving me a very thoughtful, and unexpected birthday gift
• Fun dinner with good friends at a Japanese steakhouse
• Lazy Saturday doing laundry and working out
• Fabulous dinner date with the Boyfriend at a new-to-us restaurant
• Sunday funday with the family watching football, chatting and eating good food
• My nephews making me birthday cards and singing Happy Birthday

This birthday year has started out right and I hope it continues!

Birthday Week

My birthday is in a few days.  I haven’t had much time to think about it with life happening around me.  This past weekend, two people asked me if I was excited about my birthday.  Excited?  No.  Happy?  Yes.  As I get older, some birthdays are easier to swallow than others.  This one is not a milestone birthday or one that makes me feel old.  It just reminds me how fast time goes by and how I haven’t really appreciated what has happened to me this past year. 

At this time last year, I was unemployed.  I was in a “more than friends, but not a relationship” rollercoaster with a guy that I substituted lust and infatuation with interest and significance.  I was not happy with my life.

This year, I have a good job that I like 75% of the time.  I have my friends and family who I love very much.  And I have wonderful guy in my life who I care about very deeply.  What a difference a year can make.

So this weekend, to celebrate my birthday, I have a dinner with my closest friends on Friday night.  Saturday night the Boyfriend is taking me on a birthday dinner date.  And on Sunday, I am spending my birthday with my family, hanging out and eating lots of pizza.  Life’s pretty good right now.