... as does every other day on the calendar when you think about it.My Mom sent me a pretty great Christmas tree (four, actually!) and it's an unspoken tradition that we take a picture of the tree every year, with the lights all lit and the ornaments glowing, so I thought I'd do it, too! Of course, it doesn't have the same effect, does it? LOL!
This year I thought I did really well being away from home (not my first Christmas this way, remember) until I opened a package from my Mom on Christmas Eve. (I was allowed to open this one as it had decorations and actually, I should have received it a few weeks before! Getting that package to the house is a very long, hard, *different* story though!) =D But as part of my decorations, my Mom had prepared EIGHT gorgeous scrapbook-style memory picture pages! They were thick and reinforced and had ribbons attached to be hung like paintings and they are so so soooooo beautiful!!
I purposely didn't bring any physical pictures with me to Japan (since they're all on my computer and I thought that would be enough to make me happy) but there really is something about having them around the room and being able to glance at them at any moment, especially in such beautiful settings! But when I opened the package it hit me pretty hard and I cried so forcefully that I was making funny noises and on the verge of hyperventilating, LOL! Emma's pictures were on top and I really miss having my baby here to play with. Sometimes in my apartment I can hear little sounds and I always think it's her.
By the time I was at the eighth poster though, I was laughing my butt off! Mom had included the one of me and Steph for Halloween, so I'm Elpheba and she's gothic girl in a cloak (did we ever have a name for you that day, Steph??) and we look hysterical! Yay for Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Party!!! I can't wait to go to the one in Japan next year! Grr, sorry, I got distracted yet again, lol!
Steph and I posing with some Princesses at Disney World!
Left: top: Emma and I cuddling after a hangover nap! bottom: Emma looking forelorn on the stairs.
That one killed me, of course!
Right: Mom, Dad, and I at the Spirit of Aloha dinner show at Disney World! This was so great!!
Left: Mom and Dad at the fountain in Morocco at Epcot!
Right: top: The 5 College Program kids posing in uniforms!
bottom: Some roommates posing with Pluto!
The 7th picture (not shown) is above my bed and has Krista, Heather, and I in a group hug in Orlando! The 8th is of me and Emma cuddling and I put it in the kitchen to look at when I cook (hahahaha, "cook!" I know!)
Probably the best book ever written, this is hysterical and very naughty! I found some articles online that said a LOT of people thought the "lost manuscripts" were REAL!! (Clearly not history majors, LOL!) I still get such a kick out of reading them!
So I decorated my home with all the posters, some Christmas lights (thanks Mom!), and a bunch of Christmas cards I had received (Thank You everybody!!!)! Then I went to the 100yen store ($1) and bought a few Christmasey things to spruce up the table and the grocery store to buy some goodies so we could overindulge (since I didn't get to on Thanksgiving!)!
I invited my co-workers over to enjoy the evening with me and watch Christmas movies! (I brought a plethora from America for this very purpose!) After a couple of false starts (closer friends know who I'm referring to), we were able to get under way and have a really fun time!! You'll notice some poppers in the picture as well as some yummy HERSHEY KISSES, sent all the way from America by the wonderful Canton Family!! I decided to be a good girl and share, LOL, as there were plenty to go around! And they were DELICIOUS!!! THANK YOU!!! I really miss Hershey's chocolate, LOL! I understand that the Swiss chocolate around here is better quality, etc., but it just doesn't taste the same to me!! THANK YOU again Kris and Marci, you're wonderful!!!!!
There's more food warming in the microwave! We had chicken, too, but since we'd already had dinner we were mostly thinking of desserts! I actually splurged on a box of Ritz crackers but then couldn't find anything to put ON them!! I wish Mom was here to make one of her yummy cheese balls (especially the spicy one with the pineapple chunks! YUMMY!!!!!)
My Mom always makes beautiful presentations with her food!! I think I get that from her! Make it pretty before you eat it!! =D
These are the infamous (holidays only) Honey Roast Chicken flavored Pringles!! They taste like honey roasted peanuts (err, potato chips) and they are DELICIOUS!! We cracked into these at some point during the night, too! =D
When Ai comes over she is always cuddling with my Duke Elliot bear, so I thought I'd get her one of her own! Notice that hers (Princess Miranda) is wearing a removeable towel around her belly because she's used as a pillow generally, and this way you can remove the towel and wash it. I think it looks like she just stepped out of the shower though, LOL! I made a collar and bow for her out of wrapping paper, and I just love seeing her posing with her uncle Elliot! They looked so sweet together!
The wrapping paper that Marci used looks JUST LIKE Elliot and Miranda!!! Marci and I are totally psychic with each other!! For instance, I can read her thoughts at this very moment and she's thinking... "it's time for sushi!" Come on, how well do I know you?? =D
My beautiful pictures and some Christmas cards!!
Ai aiming a popper! This could end badly... ;)
WELL DONE!! (This was not posed, either Gary or Ai definitely hit the light, LOL!)
Mom sent some battery operated candles but I had no idea what setting to put the camera on to capture the warm glow!!
I'm useless with this camera! But look how pretty!! =D
Ai and Miranda giving Gary a new look!
Love and cuddles!!
This is from the Kamakura trip, but it was so funny I didn't want to rob you of it! On the brink of exhaustion and sickness, I was feeling a little loopy... though, let's face it, I hardly need an excuse to do my Walrus impersonation!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!
1 comment:
I still have not found any of those Pringles, and if you hadn't posted a picture of them, I'd start to think you made them up! ;) I look for them everytime I go anywhere there's food and no luck. However, there was a girl on one of the trains who had a small container of them, but I couldn't think of a way to ask her if I could try one without sounding like a complete freak, which would only be made worse by my excessively poor Japanese. Oh, well. ;)
I'm glad that you had an awesome Christmas and a great New Year!
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