Friday, January 1, 2010

2010: A Fresh Start!

It sure has been a while since I posted!  I have been following everyone via Google reader but have been a bad blogger by not commenting very frequently.  Hey, what can I say?  It’s been one hell of a month!  As excited as I was for the holidays, I am quite happy it’s all over and done with for another year.  I can honestly say, despite the hustle, bustle & madness this was probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had!  It wasn’t about who got what for presents – it was all about just being together with family.  Ours was very much a budget Christmas but now that everyone is grown up in Dave’s family, no one really paid any attention to it.  Everyone was just so happy to be fortunate enough to be together to share the holidays together.  Dave & I spent the night on Christmas eve at his parents place so we could get up early to do the stockings.  We had a great night playing games with the family.  We had just acquired a wicked game from work (R I M m o n o p o l y) which was so much fun to play with everyone (even though I lost!).  I hadn’t played Monopoly in years so it was fun to put on a B l a c k B e r r y twist to it.

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Normally his oldest brother & SIL do their own stockings, breakfast & gifts at their own house but this year they joined us all and the whole family was together for breakfast on Christmas morning & the gift exchange.  It really made a positive difference just having everyone together.  It was likely the start of new Christmas morning traditions.

A few of us bloggers got together for a Secret Santa Exchange.  Jaime had me and she gave me the gift at our pre-Santa Shuffle potluck dinner.  I cannot believe it, but I didn’t open it until Christmas Day!  Yeah go me!! 

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It was a beautiful snow globe with the word “Peace” inside and a dove.  A wonderful addition to my Christmas Decor.  There was also a cutsie ornament that did go right on my tree also! Thanks Jaime!!

I have been so lucky to have 10 days off work over the holidays.  My work is just wicked like that.  I didn’t need to take any holidays, these days off were just given to us.  Whoop whoop!  It has been SOOOO needed to have this time off.  My last vacation was in July when I went to Edmonton for 10 days for a wedding, and when I got extremely sick.  So a vacation was a long time coming and I have been making the MOST of doing NOTHING!  I wasn’t paying attention to the day/date/time all week.  Loves it!!  I am kind of sad that it’s now Friday night and we’ll be back to work Monday morning.  :(

Last night we hung out with his brother & SIL again.  We went and hung out with some of their neighbors who were having a NYE party.  Even though we didn’t know the people, everyone was so down to earth and just out to have a great time.  Their house was INCREDIBLE!  There were about 3 different Christmas trees in the house, a fireplace in the kitchen which overlooked a small lake in the neighborhood.  Very posh and so beautiful! 

Thankfully there wasn’t a crazy abundance of food at their place.  A few nuts were on the table for people to munch on (not me, because of my allergies…boo).  SIL made the Epicure Extraordinary Cheese Dip, then later on one of the neighbors made the best bacon wrapped scallops…ever….EVER!!   I do not like scallops (though I do love bacon) but I didn’t want to be rude and turn any down so I had one…which turned into about 4 scallops that I ate.  Holy cannoli.  These suckers were drizzled in maple syrup and a liquor (which I can’t think of right now… arg!) I wish I took pics of the actual scallops, however all I got was this amazing cooking show (and hello – WHAT a stove these people have!)

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Right before midnight we went downstairs to their in home theatre to do the countdown to 2010.

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Since it was late getting back in from the party, and I’d had an entire bottle of red to myself, we decided to spend the night at his brothers place.  In the morning his brother had made omelets, bacon, sausages & hashbrowns.  What a wonderful start to 2010!  Great company & great food!

The rest of the day was spent doing up our 2010 budget.  I haven’t set any goals for the new year just yet.  I may be behind on the times, however I still have my 101 in 1001 that I am aiming for.  There are mini-goals in my head that I want to work on in 2010:  pay off debt, stick to budget, work on relationship, save money, move into a home  (??), go to the gym more frequently, etc. 

Actually, one goal I do have is to blog more frequently.  I do enjoy using the blog as a bit of an outlet, but I also like to look back over time and see how things were going.  This past month I haven’t really had the time (or desire, honestly) to blog, but I really want to get back in it.  I am now back to Blogger and am ready to get back into the swing of things!

Happy New Years everyone!!

 

3 comments:

Jaime on January 1, 2010 at 10:36 p.m. said...

Happy New Year Lex!!

Glad u liked your globe! I love them so I always hope other people do too!! :)

Tiff on January 2, 2010 at 2:51 p.m. said...

Hi there- new reader here! Looks like you guys definitely had a fun holiday!

Looking forward to following your blog this year!

Jen on January 2, 2010 at 7:18 p.m. said...

Looks like an absolute blast girl!!!!
I love your monopoly game!!!!

I am the same as you, I don't really have any resolutions! Just working on improving stuff I was already working on!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!