Christmas Vacation.

Somehow Christmas already feels a million miles away, but I still wanted to post some pictures because we enjoyed a wonderful two weeks in Texas. I was like a sponge soaking up moments baking, laughing, shopping, walking, watching TV and sharing meals with my family. I took naps. I read. I watched The Price is Right and The Help. We decorated cookies. We chased a toddler. We opened presents. We ate. It was perfect. We are happy to be back home, but those two weeks were just what we needed. Here are a few snippets of our trip.

Family.

"All because two people fell in love"

Do you know this saying? Since being in Abilene I have been feeling so grateful for my parents and the family they've created. I love their cozy home. I love my siblings and the easy banter. I love my parents and the comfort that just their presence provides. I am so glad they fell in love and have stayed in love for so long.

It's December! It's December!?

I've missed you my bloggy friends. I up and went to Texas for 10 days, didn't bring my computer, had lots more people to chat and hang out with so blogging got set on the back burner. My apologies.

We had a fantastic time with my family. 10 days was the perfect length. It was plenty of time to relax, do some fun things, eat some greasy food, eat some home-cooked food, let the baby sleep, go on some outings,- you get the point. It was a nice balance. I even felt ready to come home, which I didn't think would be possible. Christmas decorations were calling my name!

I enjoyed having extra help with Meredith- I got to sleep in a couple times and my parents even kept her in their room for three nights so all I had to do was the 3 am (ish) feeding. I think Meredith enjoyed all the extra attention :)

This trip made me even more grateful for my family. I thought a lot about how grateful I am that my family is a well functioning unit. I have one place I call home, one group of people I get to go visit. It's rare for there to be tension and fighting, and if there is, we get over it quickly. My family is a safe, happy place for me. I know it's not like that for many people, so this year, I was extra grateful for that.

Gratitude: Nov 24

On Wednesday I was grateful for a fun shopping outing with my family. I got some new jeans because my old favorites were pretty beat up and a bit too big. Who doesn't like getting new jeans for that reason??

trying on hats :)

Gratitude: Nov 23

On Tuesday, I was grateful for pie-making with my mom. The house was smelling so delicious and it was so nice just spending time with my mom.

Gratitude: Nov 22

On Monday I was grateful because I got to spend the day with my brother and sister. My sister was working on a project for class making a stop motion video and she chose me to be the star! It's so not my thing normally, but I had so much fun posing and making very slow movements. The best part was hanging out with Joe, Lydia and Meredith all afternoon. Being with them makes me happy.

This is (obviously) not me or my sister's video, but a cool one. Ours will be posted once she's all finished editing it.

Gratitude: Nov 20 & 21

meredith and i enjoyed a sunday morning sunrise in abilene

I think it's obvious what I was grateful for this weekend: being in Abilene with my family! It has been a great trip already. Meredith traveled very well and is sleeping like a champ here. I am enjoying lots of laughs with my siblings, walks with my dad and outings and conversations with my mom. I'm so glad I still have 8 more days to go!

meredith and momma dee at church

evening stroll with pepe and daddy

family

(even looking at this picture makes my heart hurt. thanksgiving hurry up!)

Since Meredith's birth I have decided living away from family is unnatural. I have never liked living away from my family. I chose to go to college a mere 20 minutes away from my parents and went home nearly every weekend my freshman year. Then, I lived home sophomore year and senior year before I got married. When my brother and sister moved away, I hated it. I remember crying so hard on the drive to my parents' house to say bye to my brother. And then, when my parents moved to Texas last summer, it really sucked. But, I surprisingly was ok. I filled my days with teaching and fun outings with my husband. I missed my parents most when Chris was out and I was home alone, but I was ok. My mom was always a phone call away (which I tell myself daily is such an incredible blessing).

Then, Meredith was born. Now, not a day goes by that I don't long for my parents to be just a town away. I need my mom's help organizing my house & her company on quiet days at home with my baby; my dad's wisdom in helping me with my spiritual walk; my parents' stinkin' dogs kisses and cuddles. With my own growing family, I feel the need to be near family so much more. There's no immediate solution. For the time being, I try to just be grateful that they are a phone call away and a plane ride away. It could be worse.

My Mom

With an amazing weekend ahead of me, I'm trying just to think positive. But one thing has been nagging at me for a few weeks now. My mom is far, far away in stinking Texas for my baby shower and on Mother's Day.

Setting up the nursery, receiving packages of baby items, picking out wall art, thinking about packing a hospital bag is all very thrilling. I've never in my life been so excited about something as I am about preparing for the arrival of our baby girl. But without my mom close by, it's not the same. She gives me advice about curtains for the nursery, keeps me updated on tracking of my gift (our stroller, hallelujah!), tells me what items were helpful for her at the hospital and as she learned to nurse us but jeez, it would be better if she were here. I try to remember that I am extremely fortunate that she is simply a phone call away, but most of the time I just wish she were still a town away.

So while I will miss her dearly tomorrow at my shower and on Sunday as I celebrate with Chris's mom, the countdown until she is here to meet the baby is on (52).

A Year in Pictures

We rang in 2010 as a family, at a delicious french restaurant on Newbury St.

February took me to NYC with my mom. We got to see a taping of The View as well as see The Little Mermaid & Wicked on Broadway.


March saw my cousin get married in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was a special weekend filled with family I hadn't seen in way too long.
In April we got new furniture and as a result a bigger feeling apartment. Hooray!

Chris graduated in May! Hip-hip-hooray!In June, Chris and I went on a whale watch with my parents. Very cool experience.

As my parents moved away at the end of June, Chris and I made a week long getaway to Martha's Vineyard. It was one of the best week's of our lives. We slept, lounged and ate.


Also in July we ventured north to Burlington, VT for the Vermont Brewer's Festival. We had the company of good friends and the taste of yummy beer.





At the very end of July I went to visit my parents in their new home, Abilene, TX.


In August, we enjoyed a camping trip in NH with Chris's family and some other good friends.

During the last weekend of August, we journeyed out to Tanglewood to see James Taylor perform. It was a magical experience. I'm hoping baby Traganos will be up for the show next summer.


September saw the start of another school year. A bigger, louder class but still just as cute.


At the end of September I said good-bye to birth control.
On a beautiful October day, I ran my first 10K with my mother-in-law!Also in October, a big, fat positive pregnancy test :)

Days after finding out we are going to have a baby, I got to see my oldest friend get married.

I have very few, if any, pictures of November. This is plain and simply because November was the month of morning sickness and crazy fatigue. We did very, very little.

December was a welcome time with family down here in Abilene. The perfect way to end a very interesting year.