Tag Archives: Holidays

Xmas Eve 2018

**This was a post I did 24 Dec 2018 on FB. I like some of the Xmas memories it had.

Feels much later then it is. We both have that “tickle” in our throats that tells us that something icky is trying to get a hold of us. Going to be a nyquil kind of night.

Not celebrating the holidays these year. Way too much going on, plus we already got our presents…..couch, coffee table and my bday present has been getting highend makeup on really great sales….lol

Missing my family something terrible. If that was the one thing I could change, that would be it….get my family out here. No, I do not want to go back to the midwest…..I just want my family out here with me. ?

That is the only thing that I really, really miss from Indiana….family. Everything else, I can easily do without.

But this time of year, makes me miss my family even more. It was the one or two days of the year that my sister and I didn’t fight…..we actually got sneaky together trying to peak at presents….LOL

And the best times I remember have nothing to do with what we got, it was the time spent together. Heck, the stockings were sometimes the most fun with all the change, candy and little things that were in it.

I remember how much money we didn’t have when living in Germany….didn’t stop mom & dad from making it special.

Making refrigerated cookies with mom from the Betty Crocker cook book. Dying them red or green.

Loved how we would go driving around to the nicer neighborhoods and look at all the nights. Germans really knew how to decorate for the holiday. It seemed magically.

Which is why I spent years before the internet to find me the tree topper I wanted that was based off the ones I grew up on in Germany. (Army movers broke them all….eye roll) Blown glass with 2-3 bulbs in it. I now have one, it is burgundy.

Mom reading us the Xmas story every Xmas eve, just before we headed up to bed and just after we put the milk and cookies out.

My first Xmas eve in my apartment at Purdue, mom did it over the phone ?

Remember all the practicing in orchestra for the holiday concerts. Mr Olsen at Tanana Jr HS & while at Lathrop HS would have us practicing so much and then we would go the malls in Fairbanks and do holiday concerts on the weekend. He always had us doing more then just the school performances. ?

This year with everything, I didn’t even put up a tree….only the 2nd yr in my life I’ve been without one.

Next year, I’ll get my 5 big boxes of tree decoration out storage and have my tree. Just hope we are in a bigger place, storage wise…those are big boxes…lol

It’ll take me 3-5hrs to get it all up…..but I’ll have my tree. ?

This year, just going to put the ham in, make some sides and chill with my hubby on our new couch.Have a great holiday everyone!

Enjoy the time spent with family and loved ones.

Holiday Lights

I totally love holiday lights, always seems so magical. That comes from when I was a kid, we didn’t have much…. But when we were in Germany, we would go driving and see all the lights the Germans put up, they always went all out…it was great. It was also one of the few times my sister and I weren’t fighting…..grin That is always worth a fond memory. ?

I also think why I like the holidays so much, that even though having a bday around them suck for parties, or people even remembering it…I’ve been very lucky to have my folks, sisters & hubby to make sure that it isn’t forgotten & makes me feel special for being in their lives

Life Changes & the Holidays

Happy Holidays!!!

Life is a changing for us. It is both exciting and scary as hell.

As of Friday, we picked up an RV. A 2002 Holiday Rambler Admiral, that we’ve named Ackbar. To learn more about it, check out our travel blog : http://WhereTheHellAreWe.com This is travel only, no politics and personal stuff…..yes, I do know that I go on sometimes….lol

Long story short, we are going to become full time RVers by the end of Feb, when our lease is up. We are both so looking forward to it and scared. There is so much to learn, it is so big…….it is overwhelming. Once we learn it, I know we’ll be fine…..it is just getting to that point.

Ideally, we want to boondocks a lot and find places to volunteer at for hook ups and learning. We already have our 1st volunteer place at Patagonia-Sonoita Creek in AZ Apr 22 for at least 3 months.

Due to packing stuff for storage, getting rid of stuff, time involved (takes me about 6hrs to put up) and you can’t put an rv under a tree, I didn’t get one this year. Right now, I’m really missing it…..being trying to avoid a lot of holiday stuff that I usually go nuts on, the holiday lights, haven’t even listened to the holiday music that I love…..since I knew that wouldn’t help. But I may listen to the music tomorrow…..and get one day of it.

I have such happy holiday memories from growing up, I love shiny glittery things, always felt like magic. And in the process, really missing my family. This year it feels like the holidays, but doesn’t.

I did get a text from mom, dad was asking if we had an Applebees, I’m like I’d prefer Olive Garden….told them they didn’t even need to go anywhere to get the certificate or mail it…..send it by email. Love that option.

I don’t expect things from my folks anymore, my concern is their finical well being especially since they are raising their 3 grandkids. So I’m just happy with card to know that they are thinking of me. They did send us a ecertificate, which we’ll put to good use on my birthday, I was just happy to hear from them since I’m missing them right now.

I’ll be calling tomorrow, that is for sure. Dad use to call on my bday at the time I was born….but that is way too early on the west coast….grin I love my folks…even though we drive each other nuts…lol

Next year, I may not have my big 7ft fresh cut Oregon tree, but I do plan on having something. This was the 1st year I’ve been without something, not doing that again next year. I picked out cats, personal and old ornaments from when I was a kid, put them into a small shoe box and taking that with us. The only thing that I’d really be missing from it, is my German tree topper….which I love, but need a big tree for that. =)