The Only Ones

After opening presents and eating cinnamon rolls with the Magee's, we still had a few hours before we were to be with the Kenney's to celebrate Santa, play board games, and eat a big Christmas meal. So in what we hope is now a Magee Christmas tradition, we went over to the gym for some friendly competition. Now this is neither new to us nor is it strange to the readers here. I can remember Christmas' in warmer climates with knock-out tournaments and frisbee throwing contests. My husbands family plays HORSE in the snow. But when I told a friend what we did on Christmas, she replied, "You might have been the only people in the world to play Badminton on Christmas Day." She might be right. We might be abnormal but we had fun. Pictures to follow.

Christmas with the Magees

Christmas festivities with the Magee side seems to be much better documented. I don't mean to offend or seem to be playing favorites. Really it is just a bi-product of the fact that my mom has a love-love relationship with her camera and I steal all pictures before leaving town.

Murphy's apathetic to the self-timer.

Once a Magee girl, always a Magee girl.

Sibs pic, can you tell?

And though they protest it, the boys still posed in front of the girls picture.

One of the festivities we divyied up to the Magee side was Christmas Eve Mass to see my youngest brother play the trombone. (It was difficult to capture this pic, forgive me Tom) 

We did the rest of Christmas Eve with the Kenney side but we got up early and were at my house before any of my siblings woke up to see if Santa ate the cookies from the night before. Murph was especially excited for his stocking to be opened.

Every year mom and dad get us matching pjs for Christmas day. This year we got Mickey for our upcoming Disney Adventure... 

Other Christmas tradition, the family puzzle.

Which I take very seriously. Puzzles are no joking matter.

Tim and my first Christmas together. Not the first time we spent time together on Christmas, because we have been together for 6 years and we live in the same town, but the first time we went back and forth and back and forth together. And I wouldn't change it for anything.

Christmas with the Kenneys

It's a weird thing, splitting time for Christmas for the first time.

It's a normal thing, not blogging about Christmas until almost a month later.

My former high school theology teacher articulated things really well here. For those of you who won't venture over to Verily, she essentially talks about how the best thing you can do for holidays with your in-laws is to be fully present. To accept and embrace their traditions. And as hard as it might seem, to refrain from thinking of what you would do differently had you been with your family or what your family was currently up to. Wise words from an even wiser woman. Though I think it would be easier to live by all of these things if Tim and I weren't going back and forth between families every few hours. It's an interesting juggling act, spending the maximum amount of quality time with loved ones.

Tim's brother and sister-in-law picked us up from the airport of all airports (O'Hare of course) and graciously brought us to the greatest dinner place. If you are ever in Evanston, IL please please please go to the Peckish Pig, I promise you won't regret. 

Stolen from the gram. Planes, trains, automobiles, busses, street cars, etc. to get home to South Bend. 

The most worth it.

Because South Bend greeted us with our favorite pup.

I need to formally apologize that I have almost no pictures with the Kenneys at Christmas. With so many wonderful people around, I was completely ignorant of the camera that was begging to be pulled out for blogging purposes. 

On Christmas, my mother-in-law started this new tradition of birthday cakes, for everyone. This family continues to grow in the most loving way but it makes it increasingly difficult to celebrate birthdays, so why not have the Country Bake Shop cake when everyone is in town?

The most heartfelt thank you to the Kenney family for inviting me into their pajama wearing, board game playing, Christmas Caroling, Game of Things Marathoning, Bananagraming, Christmas Special watching, Wining, and loving kind of Christmas.

Our Lady of the Lights

I think suburban adventures tend to be underrated. I could be considered a culprit. I tend to post when, and only when I do exciting things in whatever city I am living in. Well suburbia can be fun too. As long as you have a car.

The one and only STB made her return to MA for the Christmas season and timing worked perfectly in our favor so that we had a window of about 12 hours before I left MA. So I got in the car and set the cruise control (inside joke for the two people who get it... it would be three except for I doubt Steve has ever read a post) to get to Boston Suburbs. I had a lovely dinner at the Ballous and then we got in the car to head for a fantastic display of Christmas Lights. When Marian Shrines and Tacky Christmas Decor combine, I really can't begging to describe the outcome. Not that it would do it justice anyway. So next year, when December rolls around. Take a pilgrimage (?) to Our Lady of LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, it is sure not to disappoint.

I love this lady and our raining snow adventures. And our burgers and bdiet coke adventures. And our stay in bed and watch MK and A movies not-really-adventures.

The shrine included a display of Nativity scenes from around the world. This one was my favorite. Have you ever seen an Alaskan nativity?

Also one very large nativity.

And a rosary walk and a Stations of the Cross walk and of course all of these things are well lit.

Finally, there was the replica of the Sacred Steps from the Lateran in Rome. I guess what I am getting at is that I'm excited to go back in warmer weather and see what other adventures suburbia has in store!

Skating through Life

Disclosure: I am way behind on blogging (surprise, surprise) so the next few are from a long time ago in a land far, far away. Think December.

I don't skate. It's just not something I do. You can ask Tim how it went when, 6 years ago, he tried to take me ice skating for our first date. I'll sum it up, it didn't.

But, when ice skating is disguised with visiting city Christmas lights and quality time with quality people, you best believe that I'll be bundled and taking photos on the sideline.

Merry Christmas with love from the Boston Crew and a smudge on my camera.

I've already mentioned, but for the sake of repetitiveness being my middle name, I love Christmas in the City.

Thanks for having us Boston Commons. They loved spinning around in circles and I loved your concession stand.

I'm Dreaming of a Dollar Store Christmas

Some things in life never change, and for me that's frugality. I like nice things but what school teacher can afford that?

And so, if you couldn't tell from the title, this is what I did with our little apartment on an even littler budget. 

^^^ In the foreground you see our Christmas Tree Ornaments from a set of 100 cheap ones from Target. In the background you see our advent wreath. The Dollar Store did not sell purple and pink candles so we made do. The "wreath" around the candles is from the trimmings of our tree.

Our Nativity Scenes and Holy Family images/ statues were gifted, and we are so grateful for that. Our Christmas Card holder is repurposed from the "Card Box" from our wedding. When you're on a budget, nothing is cheaper than free.

The lighting is bad here but this is our Advent Calendar. Twine, clothes pins, construction paper, and a big bow (seen here clipped to day 20). It doesn't take much people, you just need to use your frugality to inspire your creativity.

I've already talked about Herbert the Tree, but our Angel was passed down from my Mom. Note the color change in the tree lights. That's from reusing lights Tim already had on the bottom which were apparently a different "white" than the ones we bought from Target that went on the top of the tree.

I bought a pack of ornaments from the Dollar Store and the bow came in a two pack with the Advent Calendar bow. Tim already had the cheap Walmart wreath so for $1.50 I embellished it by holding everything down with pipe cleaners.

The cookie cutters came in a set from, you guessed it, the Dollar Store and the jar was one I grew up with.

Even my head gear for our Christmas picture was cheap, cheap, cheap. But just these simple little things went a long way to make our apartment feel oh so cozy. As excited as we were to celebrate the Epiphany today, we are a little sad to move back into ordinary time and ordinary decor. It's a bit grim to walk through our neighborhood and see the used trees lining the sidewalk. Miss you already cheap Christmas decorations, we will see what other disposable, breakable additions we can come up with next year.