50% weird

We celebrate Christmas twice. Once in the morning with the nuclear family, then once in the afternoon with the grandparents, aunts and uncles. I love my Nana and Grandpa dearly, they are fantastic people. I am planning on naming my first son (if I have a son) after my grandpa.

Over the years the presents from them have gotten weirder. Usually they are 50% weird and 50% pretty cool. I know Nana does all the gift getting, she really is right on target with some things. One of them even made me well up. Here is the list:

Rescue Rangers hoodie

2 cook books (one on how to hide healthy food in not so healthy food!)

A framed 8½ by 11 photo of my grandparents on their wedding day

Holiday Life Savers

A set of matching watches (one for me, one for Rob)

A pen with a light

Amongst many other things, my mom received a funnel cake maker and my dad two boxes of Oreos. Jilli also got a giant pink pillow that was taller than she was. 

Christmas isn’t really about getting presents but it will be nice to look back and laugh about the time my dad received and LED flashlight that nearly blinded him (at least he could still taste the Oreos).

Rob and I have less than a week left, I can feel the time growing short. Tonight we are watching The Dark Night as a family, Jake received it for Christmas. Monday is hopefully going to be Knotts Berry Farm, followed by a wedding dress fitting. I really do not want to be heading back to London on Thursday, this is my last time in Southern California for the next two years. Alas. Regardless, I am happy for the time I have here.

“Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”

I am sitting on the couch watching Elf with my family. Rob has never seen it before. Watching him watch it is almost as good as watching the movie. He’s got his mouth hung open and laughs hysterically at all the right moments, like when Buddy started eating chewed gum off of a fence. We watched Family Vacation last night. I had forgotten how much I hate that movie. Not really my type of humor. 

Today I had lunch with an old friend (yep, I am now old enough to have old friends). We ended up chatting for a couple hours, it was nice to catch up. Then the fam all went to this fancy neighborhood that has insane Christmas lights. The type where people have blow up Santas on their lawn. We listened to Christmas music and had Christmas coffee/hot chocolate. 

This Christmas home has been insanely fabulous and almost sickening. Thursday we went to Disneyland and had an amazing time. We went on almost every ride, except Nemo, and stayed to watch the Christmas fireworks. We are going down to the beach on Christmas Eve and then going to my grandparents on Christmas and then sledding the day after.

I am trying my best to not think about my papers, but January 12th is coming up quickly. Two research papers in a week is do-able, right??

Not really an exciting post, but I figured I should keep people updated on my home time.

Merry Christmas!

Home for the Holidays

I am home. finally. 

It is a chilly 50 degrees outside (haha) and I now have a plentiful amount of clothes that fit, all inside my little sister’s closet (tehe).

Rob’s surprise party was last night, sorry couldn’t discuss it here previously as he reads the blog. He was very frustrated by 4 p.m., having received no birthday cards or gifts, and being pretty much ignored all day. Then we sent him to Lowe’s with my dad to find us a new washing machine. 

He came back to balloons and ice cream cake and chillidogs and a bunch of people who wanted to wish him a happy birthday. I think it was a success. 

I am blogging right now because it is 7:30 in the morning and I am obviously not over jet-lag yet. I have been up since 6:30 a.m. I thought about unpacking and tidying, instead I played hide and seek with my cat and freaked Jill out by making her think I was watching her while she slept. 

Today is church with maybe some shopping or pedicures after. I love being home!