The grand conclusion to "Why I love December"

HI FRIENDS!

Instead of doing the standard apologizing for taking so long between posts, I'm going to jump right in with my favorite memories from my twenty-seven days at home. I won't post a ton of photos because if we're real friends (and you're not just some random creeper), you've seen the majority of these photos on Facebook. That being said, in no particular order (except the order that these appear in my brain) here we goooooooo!

• Though snowed in the first 8 of 9 days, my mom had enough forethought to add grenadine to the emergency supply. Nothing like a Diet Cherry Coke in the ale glasses.
• We turned into a family of board game players. Well, if board games include Ticket to Ride and sometimes Harry Potter Clue.
• The homemade treats. Cookies, cupcakes, caramel corn, hot fudge sauce, rolls, guacamole.
• Once the roads cleared, my dad and I carpooled to and from downtown Portland each day. Kind of fun to compare work stories or situations and anything else striking one of our fancies.
• The parents and sisters 3 and 4 all got picture and unlimited texting. Most days at work I'd get an unexpected text from Mom saying she missed me or what the plan for the evening was.
  
• The teams I manage are all in Portland, so it was nice to be in the office with them for a few weeks and getting to know their personalities. I also got to show a bit more of mine. I'm honestly, oh so very amazed at both the quality of genius, industry-smart people employed at my agency. Not only are they intelligent, they're wicked funny and amazingly kind. I'm honest when I say I've never seen a company like this.
• My hand-crafted Christmas sweater was more greatly understood this year. Had a fun time posing for Olan Mills style holiday photos with some coworkers.
• Spent so long in Portland I slept multiple nights in three separate beds.
• Kendall and Josh got engaged! Click here to read the cutest engagement story you've ever heard.
• Ju Ju Julie came to visit. It was amazing. Par for the course, we took limited photos--which is good considering we spent most of the time in our pajamas. That gal picked up Ticket to Ride much too quickly. And we stayed up OH so late talking.
• On New Year's Eve, all four of us sisters were home doing our own thing. (Parents already sleeping.) Two minutes before midnight, we turned the TV on to watch the ball drop, did a quick NY hug and kiss and went back to what we were doing before. It was honestly one of my favorite New Year's yet.
• Mal and I started watching The City and I'm obsessed with analyzing Whitney's hair. Tried a middle part several days and a few of her other stylings.
• We got a sitter for the baby and went to see Twilight. Sat in the fourth row, and took a self portrait. I really didn't think we'd be able to get all six of us in it.
  
• Thought a lot about my goals for the New Year. I'm pleased to announce they've been integrated. To make a long story short, 2009 is going to be the best year ever.
• Frequented a few bars with coworkers on several evenings. Smoking was legal in bars until the 1st of the year. The one night I went out before the 1st, my coat had to sit in the garage for a week for the smell to fade. I was much happier to go out once January hit.
• Convinced Mallory and Kendall to join me on Twitter. Wahoo!
  
• The baby! Adrie is a few months over 2 now and really quite fun. She still doesn't love me too much, but she redeemed herself by wearing the horse I gave her for Christmas and kissing on command.
• Due to snow, our Christmas church was canceled. Of all the weeks..! We watched the 2-hour motion picture Nativity Story that came out last year (it has the main girl from Whalerider in it) and it was actually more than lovely. Highly recommended to anyone trying to get into the Christmas spirit. That movie surely did it for me.
• Though our numbers were small, we held a Christmas program/talent show. I'm the poorest singer of the 4 of us and was happy to accompany on the piano. I'm grateful I haven't completely forgotten how to play!
• I was able to have Albertson's donuts a few mornings!
• My dad's company has Blazers season tickets in the 14th row. My dad's boss's mom died (boo) so we got the seats for the Blazers/Celtics game (yay). The view was amazing (yay), but the Celtics lost (boo). STILL such a fun time. Even with the ribbing I had to take at work the next day.
  
• Probably my most favorite gift of the year was the glass heart necklace given to me by my parents. My dad gave it to my mom as the first major piece of jewelry after her wedding ring in the 80's; it was the first of many glass heart necklaces. My mom told me I'd get a comment on it every time I wore it -- sure enough, the 2nd person I saw at work the next day had something nice to say.
• My other favorite gift (sometimes having a list pays off) was my Mickey Mouse waffle iron. In addition to the griddle and food processer gifted to me, I'm ready to roll as far as breakfast is concerned. Sometimes I wonder when I'll run out of nostalgic gifts to request.
• According to the sweatshirt and pants I borrowed all holiday break, I was part of the rugby team that played in the high school nationals. Goooooooo me.
  
• I also got to wear a Valkyrie (that's right, the Tom Cruise eyepatch movie) shirt Mallory won. Everytime she or I would see the shirt, we'd yell out VALKYRIE. Sounds dumb, but after 3.5 weeks, it got kind of funny.
• One night, it was waaaaay too quiet in the room Kendall and I were sharing. I decided to serenade her with a little Lion King. (Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahm savaaaaaaaaagnya.) We slept with the bathroom fan on every night after that.
• Oddly enough, Adrie was watching the Lion King a few days later. We were playing Ticket to Ride and would all randomly pipe in song lyrics or movie quotes when they fit.
• We watched Ironman with the surround sound so loud that it knocked several shelves and various items off the wall unit. (That's right, we like things louuuuuud.)
• Mallory and I had an obsession with Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video and the Top 25 Mashup. Genius to both counts.
• SANTA BROUGHT THREE DVR'S TO THE WMS HOUSE. I can guarantee you're no more shocked than I am. The conversations and tutorials about said units are some of the funnier memories. ("Hey! What you record on YOUR dvr is your own business!")
• Our work holiday party was January 9th and the rest of the Boston office came out to celebrate. It was a 40's-theme and it started to feel a bit like prom. The questions about who was going to wear what, if we wanted to get ready at so-and-so's hotel room, etc. Everyone was my best friend after dinner once they realized I had drink tickets to spare...
  
• I've never been called "Boston" so much in my life. Especially when I was with my two gal pal coworkers (also from the Boston office). I thought those kind of nicknames only happened on TV shows.
  
• Oh! My other favorite gift--I tend to forget it was a Christmas gift because it was given in the snowed-in-bored-days before Christmas is a handwritten recipie book my mom put together of all our family favorites. I can't imagine the hours it put together -- and I'm determined to start using it this year!
• I changed my return ticket twice. Once was a 10 day extension, the next a 1 day.
• 27 days at home, 0 days of vacation time taken. That's what I'm talkin' bout.
  

I flew home on a 100% uneventful trip -- only worth mentioning because when are trips uneventful these days? I was picked up by Linda and wisked to an incredibly fun dinner party. It helped curb any feelings of remorse I felt in leaving the Pac-Nor homeland.

I've been on a lot--a lot--of trips in my 26 years. And had a lot of Christmases. Every year Mallory says it was the Best Christmas Ever. I'm here and on board to tell you (and agree with her) that this was in fact, the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER. And one of the BEST. TRIPS. EVER. We had very few quarells, very few harsh words, and I left with very few regrets. My batteries were in sore need of charging--and now I'm ready to meet life face on again.

Welcome home Boston.