Happy New Year

This year I really savored the Holiday season. Unlike last year which I think I literally worked every holiday, this year I had not just the days of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years off, but also the entire weekend each time. As a student it is so easy to take for granted that you will have vacation during these times. Now, when people ask when I have to “go back to school” I have to think, first because I am not in-school any more, and two, because I often didn’t “leave” to get the chance to go back. But this year I had an easy answer all three of these weekends: “Monday!”

Abraham’s family spends a few days in Chicago every year right up until Christmas. I was happy that while I was unable to go home to Utah for Christmas, I was able to at least participate in this tradition.

-Christmas card picture at Greek Islands restaurant.

-Abe and I goofing off at the Lincoln Park zoo. I look like a marshmallow but luckily the weather was quite warm (for Chicago).

We had to brave the blizzard on our way home and were able to squeeze A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, and most of It’s a Wonderful Life into what is usually a 3.5 hour drive. We were welcomed by a driveway and sidewalk full of snow ready for some shoveling. Hooray for a White Christmas (appropriate since we saw the play while in Chi-town), with copious amounts of fluffy Utah-like snow. Hooray even for shoveling at 1 am on Christmas Eve.

We had a nice Christmas day although I was missing my family more this year than last. I got too many nice gifts to list but a few were a new ipod nano from Abe, Michael Jackson the Experience for the Nintendo Wii, and some basketball shoes for Abe from my parents.

We rang in the New Year with Abe’s family and some of their friends. Abe lived up to his reputation with a Baked Alaska made from a recipe from Caitlyn.

 

The next day we made the drive to Omaha to say goodbye to Abe’s old friend…

and to welcome his new one.

What a great month to end the year and an exciting start for the year ahead. My only regret? I was getting pretty used to all this vacation!