PHEW!

I hope anyone who's reading had a wonderful Christmas, just like I did :-)

It was a whirlwind of activity...... Erik and I joined my family at my dad's on Saturday morning for brunch. We had a really nice time..... Mary brought this wonderful egg souffle, my dad baked a ham and I did the fruit salad. It definitely felt nice to have my family around me - I'm also grateful to spend a little time with my bro Tim. I don't get to see him very often, so even the short 20 mins was nice. We opened presents, watched the Seahawks beat the Colts and ate way too much cheesecake! And Calvin (my nephew) got this cool ninja play set that he couldn't get enough of. It was a KICK watching him run around the living room like we were under seige!

Then later that afternoon, my dad, Erik and I hopped on the freeway towards Bellingham to see my dad's family. We stopped by the hospital to see my grandpa.... he hasn't been feeling well the last few days, so they're keeping him there to keep him comfortable. It was great to still see a nice smile on his face and hear him cracking jokes :-) Dinner with my aunt and uncle Gillespie was wonderful! Stan is always full of stories from his travels as a missionary. I swear there are few countries he has yet to see. It was getting late so we headed out after dessert. Erik and I still had some things planned....

We had left my car in Everett to make it easy to travel to Whidbey Christmas Eve..... we made the 11pm ferry and looked for his parent's but we didn't seem 'em. Turns out, they were on the ferry and we all arrived at the same time. There was some last minute present wrapping, but all of us headed to bed not to long after arriving, I think we were all pretty much beat :-) Erik and I got to sleep out in the living room by the tree and I gotta tell ya, it was kinda fun to fall asleep smelling that fresh tree smell while it was storming outside. Anyways!! Christmas morning with the Hadlock's is always fun...... it's laid back and full of smiles, breakfast and surprises. Judy got a new dishwasher, Kenda got a new cell phone, Erik got a nice propane camping stove. Erik and his grandparent's also went in on a huge gift for his dad. He's been so excited to fix up the hydroplane, so they decided he could do a better job with air-compression tools. So....... they bought him a nice, vertical air compressor! But it was at Donna and Harry's, so he only got clues on Christmas morning.... he had to wait until later that afternoon to find out and it was AWESOME watching him try to figure it out. In the end, the wait was worth it and I think he really loved it. Phew! So we had a great lunch with Donna and Harry.... their present to me was almost overwhelming - they're going to take Erik and I out on the town for a ballet performanc at Mccaw Hall! We're stoked to go and Erik even gets to drive their new Mercedes.... I felt very grateful and I'm looking forward to a classy night out :-)

FROM THERE, we went to Grandma Glo's for dinner! By this time we've had 3 full, holiday meals and were stuffed. But of course we made some room for Glo's yummy roast and mashed potatos. We hung out there for the rest of the evening, drinking wine and opening presents. Oh yeah, and got wrapped up in this frustratingly difficult puzzel.

Erik and I then headed home to veg out and watch Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation, possibly the best Christmas movie ever made :-)

Christmas went by in a whirlwind of fun......and I am so glad that I can look back on my first Christmas without my mom and remember a happy time. I thought of her often whileI was watching other people hug their mom's and cook with their moms.... and I got a really sad and wished she was here to share in all the fun.......but I was also truly happy to be with the people I love and so grateful to be welcomed with open arms by Erik's extended family, just like every year :-)

And I know my mama was watching us party and spend time laughing with each other. I know that's all she wanted, was her family to be together and to be happy. And we were. (And just imagine what kind of party was going on in Heaven....she was having a wonderful time).

Here are some photos from our fun......

Oh The Holidays

For the all wonderful, loving, warm and fun things about the holidays, there are justmany annoying and not fun things about the holidays. Allow me to share :=)

Warm and fuzzy things:
- Pipping hot cider and a gingerbread cookies
- Receiving a Christmas card from a friend in your mailbox instead of your inbox
- Twinkling lights everywhere you look
- Knowing that you're celebrating the birth of God, how cool is that?
- Little kids running around trying to be good for Santa
- Mountains of wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbons and tape
- Gathering around a fire with your family, chatting and sipping coffee
- Making a wish list
- Knowing you just bought a thoughful gift that special person will LOVE.

Irritating and not-so-fun things:
- Price stickers on paperback books
- Receipts that are as long as the Declaration of Independence
- Stores that have 18 checkout stations and only have 7 open
- All the seasonal customer service people that don't give a crap
- The holiday sweaters that should have been thrown out back in 1984
- That goes for the holiday pins too
- Knowing that when all is said and done, I'll be broke until March....and lastly,
- That kid in the department store that screams, "But I waaaaaaaaaaaaant it now, mommy!!!!!"

There. I feel better :-)

I really am enjoying the holidays..... plans are working out, I'm easily finding gifts for everyone and I'm meeting some relatives that I've never met before. I miss having my mom to go shopping with and to help me wrap (because I'm probably the worst wrapper ever - I'll have to be extra careful this year not to rip the paper before I even get it wrapped!). But I know she's looking down, giggling at my awful warpping and loving me from afar.

I'm Officially Welcoming Winter

I now have a Christmas tree and just finished digging out fun decorations - I am officially in the holiday mood :-) Families are making plans, I have to wear a scarf when I go outside, I'm researching Stuffed Mushroom recipes, my car takes forever to warm up...... but I'm enjoying all of it.

I am looking forward to everyone meeting at my parent's place, all under one roof. I know Christmas may be a little different this year..... we'll be missing mom every moment. But I know that she'd want all of us sit around and catch up in the living room - with the fire going and coffee in our hands, watching Calvin run around and try to guess what each present is, probably getting at least half of 'em right :-)

And to top it all off, Erik and I are going to go play in the snow this weekend for my birthday! We were planning on going snowshoeing but with this hacking cough, I'm not sure I could last very long. I am looking forward to tossing a couple snowballs at him though.....

Merry Christmas everyone!
And if you celebrate something other than Christmas, Merry (_________) to you!

Now Do Ya Believe?

Monday Night Football is where it's at..... if you're a Seahawks fan anyways.....they're a different team this year and regardless of Superbowl or not, it's been a fantastic season.

42 to ZERO - Woohoo!

I know we didn't play a perfect game and I know the Eagles could have played MUCH better. But, the Hawks now have players that can step up and make the big plays, when before they would fumble or drop or get a penalty. Go Dyson!

I'm willing to put some money on the playoffs, anyone wanna take me up? (uh, but I'm not rich, so how's 10 bucks sound?)

:=)

(now if we can just make the big plays and not turn the ball over to the Colts, we'll be just fine)

Quickie Post

Tomorrow is December 5th already?!?!?! So many things going on in the next 30 days is crazy (even the spring/summer is already getting scheduled out).

Happy Birthday to my brother Jeff!!! Your birthday and the Seahawks on Monday Night Football......it doesn't get much better than that.

Alrighty, so I have a day off on Friday the 9th to do some Christmas shopping and Erik and I are also going to my brother's theater performance at Northshore Baptist that evening - On Saturday the 10th we're going to BMW's semi-formal Christmas party - On Sunday the 11th we're headed to Erik's parent's place to select a Christmas tree - On Saturday the 17th Erik and I are going snoeshoeing up at the pass for my birthday - Monday the 25th is Christmas - I have that whole week off - then New Years - then our 4 year anniversary is on February 28th - then we're going to Cabo San Lucas for my bro's wedding May 25th - and sometime right before that starts the Hydroplane season (and the Rally Racin' season too!) - Not to mention all the other holidays and birthdays inbetween - and that takes us through the summer and into fall - then we do it all over again! Craziness I tell ya! I shouldn't recap the upcoming events like that.....makes life seem way too short. But, at least is a fun-filled, action packed time, right?

I hope everyone is enjoying the cheesy Christmas music, inceasant shopping comercials, the bitter cold nights and all the Egg Nog and shortbread cookies you can handle, just like I am :-)

Oh! And my dad made it safely back from Vietnam - I haven't spoken to him yet so I don't have any details - I just got a voicemail from. So, I'm glad he's home safe and sound..... I missed him very much.

Laundry to do! Adios!