my word!!

Over a week since my last post, what you all must think of me!!

I'm so sorry, lovlies, that I've been M.I.A. Life has certainly been busy!!

We took on a HUGE new portfolio at work that we have all been working together on to make sure it goes smoothly and my family and I are trying to get ready for Christmas, mostly by shopping and my parents do it by visiting my family in Charlotte.

Also, I spent the weekend in Erie, visiting my sister and her boyfriend. And came down with acute pharyngitis (aka a SUPER sore throat and fever).

I'm back, though and I'm going to do better, I swear.

I wanted to participate in a challenge put on by A Complete Waste of Makeup called the "Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge" and I guess I'm a little behind, but better late than never!!

Today is Day 7: How do you celebrate the holidays?

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. My sister comes home from Charlotte for her Christmas break and we all take a day off of work to have a family day together. Usually we see a movie.

For as many years as I can remember, our family has exchanged gifts through the mail with another family that my parents met when my dad was in the military. A box comes in the mail with a present for everyone in it. It gets carefully placed under the tree until the majority of us can be together. Usually that is Christmas Eve. Once we're all together, we crack em open. Every year. And they are either handmade gifts or cute little tschotkes. It's something I always look forward to.

Some years, being Catholic, we try to find a Midnight Mass to attend and that Gospel is my favorite of the whole year, about how Mary and Joseph had the little baby Jesus in a space shared with barn animals. Then, it's home for some cookies and putting our presents under the tree, followed by  me falling asleep to Elf, or Nightmare Before Christmas, Mickey's Christmas  Carol, or, Home Alone.

We spend the next morning opening our gifts, drinking coffee, and Skyping with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece down in Charlotte. And watching A Christmas Story, of course!

The rest of the day is pretty low-key. When I was younger, Christmas was always really busy. Christmas Eve we would go to church and then to my Grandma Cescon's.

Christmas day we open our presents and stockings, then we would put on some of our new threads and go to Grandma Lovelace's with all my uncles and aunts and cousins.

Even though some of the traditions are different, I still love Christmas and all that comes with it!

How do you guys celebrate the holidays?