Christmas Recap

This was our very first Christmas as a married couple. It was such a good Christmas, I can't even begin to put into words how wonderful it was.

Evan and I opened our stockings on Christmas Eve, which I have never done before. All presents were opened on Christmas Day my entire life. But, I like changing things up. =]

My parents are the earliest risers in the history of all civilizations, so they wanted us to be at their house by like 9am. Nice try, mom and dad. Evan and I crawled out of bed at like 9:30, opened presents together, and slowly got ready to go to my parent's. Evan got me the best presents ever, and he totally fooled me like 16 times. He got me a SEWING machine!!!! Yeah, oh em gee!!! I told him I wanted one before Thanksgiving, thinking we could maybe find one on Black Friday, but we decided against going out in that madness so we didn't get one. And I had no idea that I'd be getting one for Christmas.

I opened my first gift, which was a sewing kit, with a bunch of thread and pins and needles and junk and he told me, "So you don't have to buy a ton of thread anymore." Because I do. I buy new thread every time I make a new project. And I honestly didn't think that the last present was going to be a sewing machine. He had done such a great job convincing me that he had thrown a bunch of little things in the box that I believed him.

And I was ecstatic to get it. Now I just need a cute little table for it to live on. My first project is going to be to make Evan some cloth doors for his closet like I made for mine. (Read about that here)

Anyway, after our morning together, we drove to my parents house, had an amazing breakfast of sausage and eggs, no runny yoke, and opened presents. They even got our babies tons of stuff, too! Sybil was loving her catnip and Snap and Ginger didn't move for like 3 hours while they devoured their bones.

Everyone in our families are so, so generous. We got tons of amazing things. Dinner giftcards, scrapbooking giftcards, Kindle giftcards, and tickets to a play! Evan got plenty of UM and Bears gear, and we got lots of cooking goodies.

I was exhausted and I passed out at like 6:00 for a good three hours in front of the fireplace while the boys watched football. And I still fell sound asleep at home after that power nap.

It was such a fun Christmas. I can't wait for the next one.

And I'm already planning out gifts for next year because I am going to get my shopping done so early. New Years Resolution #1.


Lc

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

What a good day =]

Nick and I spent the day shopping and laughing. Mostly me, hysterically. He is seriously made to be a stand up comic. I love it. We both went to the dentist this week (no cavities!!!!) and he had to have both the new girl and the main dentist work on his teeth, not our usual lady. He only needed two x-rays but the lady couldn't figure out the machine so they actually took like 60. Anyway, his story was about the funniest thing ever. "Well you don't need any fillings..." "Oh no? Well you know what I do need? A blood transfusion and some stitches since you stabbed me in the mouth with that stupid wand 400 times."

Anyway. I finished my Christmas shopping, hung out with my bro, and got all dolled up for Christmas Eve service at church. Evan even said to me, "Is Christmas like your favorite because you always get especially cute this time of year..." bahaha thanks for telling me I'm homely 51 weeks out of the year. Juuuuust kidding. =]

We had a wonderful candle light service, and there were the cutest little ballerina's dancing on stage and omg. Made me want to have kids and plop them up there.

GUESS. WHAT. ELSE??!!!?? Inlaws informed me tonight that they flooded a park a few blocks from my house to make an ice skating rink!!!!!! And we drove by it tonight and sure enough, ICE SKATING RINK! It's kind of small, so there will have to be only me on it, but hello. FREE ICE SKATING.

Evan refuses to flood our backyard so I'm going to beg my dad to floor the park next to our house because he has the hookups with the city. Excuse me, do you know who my parents are?

Moving on. We had Christmas Eve dindin with the in-laws, the yummiest homemade soup, opened presents, and chitchatted for a good few hours.

Evan and I took our second annual Christmas Eve photo, because I dress up for church, and so here is our newest photo =]

2010

 Chyeah my hair magically grew six more inches just in time for Christmas!

And our picture from last year. Jamie wanted me to wear the same outfit, but I didn't want to outfit repeat for the exact same holiday. I'll probably wear that soon, though. Just for you Jamieee =]

2009

 The dress I wore tonight is from Ross, and like 12 dolla. Amazing. And it has pockets. More like a frontal kangaroo pouchish thing??? I don't know how to explain it. It's like a sweater pocket, that is basically the entire front of the dress. And a bubble hem that I kind of think is uneven. But whatever, it was cheap, so I can't complain.

Anyway, I'm suuuuper excited for tomorrow! First married Christmas =] However, I am not ready to take down my Christmas tree so that will be staying up until Mayish.


Merry CHRISTmas to all, and to all a good night =]

Lc

Awww

My mom has a facebook because she's the coolest and I noticed tonight that she has a new picture and it is the cutest thing in the world.


Look at some of my most favorite people on this planet:

Chyeah, that's adorbs. Oh, and Roza calls her "Mommy." Which melts my heart.


And then Evan changed his profile picture to this:

It makes me miss them SO much. Also the sun. I miss the sun of Ethiopia. Because there was no snow. And this 13+ inches thing is getting kind of old. Look at those chacos and short sleeved shirts. Miss.


Lc

It's the simple things in life like when and where.

So I'm opting out of my daily picture and will post two tomorrow. I just am tired and I don't feel like putting my favorite shoes on for a picture. Sometimes I'm lazy.


Anyway, tonight I got on myspace for like the first time in like 45 years and I found this adorable picture.

And let me warn you. I found this picture and felt like putting it on my blog and suddenly it turned into a sappy, love infested post. Oops.

Oh gosh this picture feels SO old. It's from 2008 when Stan (Evan's brother) got married. (And really that was two years ago and I feel like it was like 10 years ago. Crazy.) Evan was the best man and I was his date. Fun fact: I got that dress the day of the wedding at Ross and I have only worn it once. haha It is such a cute dress though, I might have to bust it out again soon. It has pockets and it's purple. So it's basically made for me.

Another fun fact: We weren't dating in this picture. This was at the very beginning of the us-getting-back-together-process. He begged and begged me to go with him but I did not want to go. It was still awkward for me to be around his family (uh, especially at the wedding of my ex-boyfriend's brother?!?) when we weren't dating. I mean, it wasn't really awkward, but it was because I made it awkward. Because I'm awkward.

And so after he begged and pleaded and promised to go shopping with me since I had nothing to wear, I agreed. And I called in sick to work, I mean NO. I most certainly did not. And mom, if you're reading this and didn't already know that......don't judge me. Your son does it every day of his life.

Anyway, I was so glad that I went to the wedding. I wore these adorable yellow wedges with my adorable purple dress and I had so much fun. Evan was soooooo handsome in his black and white pinstriped tux and I was like, "I love this boy." But we weren't dating so I really wasn't saying that out loud yet.

And I remember sitting on Evan's lap, taking a break from getting our groove on because that's what we did, and I said, "Babe, what time is it?" And then I was like "OMG. I just called him babe. We are not dating." Uh I was sitting on his lap, like it freaking mattered. But at that point, I knew things were going to be okay between us. I will never forget that night or that moment. I feel like this day in time was the day I knew we would get back together. That us trying to be "just friends" was over. That we were going to move forward in our relationship. It was a good day. That I never want to forget.

And then I came home and put that picture on myspace with a cryptic message only Evan and I could understand. "Dear Evan, soon. Love, Larissa." Meaning, I'm gonna marry you. Soon.

If I had only known it would be two short SOON years later. =] That break was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. Even if it was one of the hardest things I've ever put myself through.

So Evan, thanks for forcing me to be your date. For dancing with me when we were the only two left on the dance floor. And to "All Summer Long" twice. Thank you for believing in us when no one else did, including me. And for continuously loving me, no matter how hard I tried to push you away. You are the (second, only to my mom) strongest person I know, because you put up with me, when I loved you and when I thought I didn't. I'll never be more thankful for a breakup in my life, because it brought us closer back together. I love you. And your nerdy, WOWing self. <3 xoxo


LC