Christmas Days & Christmas Nights

If it's been quiet here, it's because Christmas has been occupying our time. With it being our first Christmas in the same house - let alone our first Christmas in a different state, far from family - we've been consciously creating new traditions and holiday favorites.

As I mentioned before, one of our ideas was to create homemade ornaments together. With the help of some cornstarch, and Trevor's patience with the dogs, we created clay and gold paw print ornaments of both boys. While Buddy's isn't likely to change, Trevor is hoping that Scrappy is twice this size by next Christmas. On the other hand, I've been quietly wishing for him to stay tiny - though next week's three-month vet visit will probably be a reminder of just how much he is growing. 

Though we have yet to pick a special ornament for 2012 to add to our ornament collection, I'm happy to say that a few more have been added to our collection already. I participated in a blog ornament swap and received a sparkly Santa gnome from Anna, a photographer from Indianapolis. Though Trevor merely "supervised" the decoration of our tree, mostly due to his distaste for glitter, he happens to find gnomes quite funny (then again, who doesn't) and it's safe to say that this little Santa is definitely his favorite.. that or the new, giant, glittery red bow that tops the tree.

Thanks to family and friends back home, we were able to add gifts under the tree this week. With the start of my winter courses, I had been expecting quite a few packages this week, mostly new textbooks. Instead, I was surprised to come home to a stack of gifts (and books) nearly three feet high, yesterday. While some were opened (I can't wait to share what was inside), others were tucked away beneath the tree for Christmas day. 

With being more than two thousand miles away from home, the Christmas activity I have missed most this year is wrapping gifts. Though I'd like to say that I have chosen the perfect stack of presents for Trevor, that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead, the only gifts I've gotten to wrap have been for our work's Secret Santa. While office Christmas activities are usually filled with terrible-scented candles and weird gifts like eggnog mix, I have been spoiled all month long - with perfectly picked gifts (wrapped in paw print wrapping paper, of course) and homemade treats like breakfast pasties and artichoke dip. 

As can be expected, we've also enjoyed a few nights of classic (and not so classic) Christmas movies. Thanks to Diane, Trevor was able to add to his movie collection with his favorite holiday film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Not failing to point out that the movie is indeed older than I am. Funny.

With a week until Christmas, I still have cookies to bake, another day of Secret Santa to attend, and seven more countdown cards to be flipped so like I said, I apologize if its quiet here - just assume that Christmas got the best of us.