Happy New Year

Whew, it's been a while since I last blogged. Just too busy with the holiday, I guess. As always, I had a great Christmas with my family. For the first time, Cliff's parents and grandma joined us for Christmas Eve dinner. It's so nice that our families get along so well. Cliff's family invited my parents for Thanksgiving, now they joined us for Christmas Eve, Cliff's mom and grandma have been to our book club before, both families have been over to work on our house (in particular, my dad and Cliff's mom, Chris, make quite a over-installing duo), etc. It's especially nice because in the past, the parents of my boyfriends have not been a good fit with my family. Now my parents can actually enjoy my significant other's parents. And even better than that, I will have in-laws I am happy to be around. I get along really well with Cliff's mom and grandma Ethelwyn especially. I like all the rest of them too, and they have really made me feel welcome.

I would say the one downside to Christmas was that my cousin Wendy and her kids couldn't spend it with us. They can for Christmas Eve dinner, but they had to leave afterwards. There's something missing when she doesn't spend the night like the rest of the family, and I know, inparticular, it makes Dee Dee, Brian, and Kevin very sad to not have her with us. Hopefully that will change in the future, but for now it was a bummer.

New Year's Eve was fine. I had a nice time with my parents and Cliff eating snacks and watching movies and then going out in the spa after the ball dropped. New year's Eve is a touchy holiday for me. In the past, it seems like whenever I would plan something that I thought would be fun, it would always fall apart at the last minute and be a major disappointment. So this year I didn't plan anything. That was good and bad. I had a nice evening, though I wouldn't have minded going out and doing something memorable. I wish I had gone to the ball drop in downtown Sacramento with Colby, JoAnn, Kerri, and such, but I didn't know they were going. And, actually, I have heard some horror stories from other people about all the mayhem that was going on down there. So, since I don't like the cold, maybe it was for the best. I was warm, well-fed, and watching the movie Eagle Eye, which was pretty darn good.

Who knows what 2009 will have in store for me. I have my wedding coming up, which I am very excited about. In some ways, I don't think 2008 could be beat, what with going to Italy, buying a house, and getting engaged, but in other ways, I hope 2009 is much better. Funny how that works out sometimes.

But for all of you reading this, I hope you had a great holiday season and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!