I can hardly recognize that Christmas was today and that it snuck up that fast. Seriously.
“I remember my youth, when waiting for the weekend (or Christmas) felt like a lifetime. And now time slips through my fingers, refusing to be contained." (via)
...The anticipation and snuggly thoughts of the morning when you get to see the reaction of everyone opening the presents you got them, watching family movies snuggled under one big blanket, having people over on Christmas Eve and cracking each other up until you all ache, then kissing them goodbye (Santa ain't gone wait all night) and feeling the little bit of chilly air sneak into your warm house when you let them out.
And the traditions! Mmmm traditions... :)
Christmas was a little discrepant this year though, for whatever reason.
........................
On Christmas Eve it was pouring rain and I woke up late and had nothing to do and of course I was hungry, so I went to visit Sarah who was working all day and got a sandwich. After I came home it was time to leave for that little service at church, (yeah. I got up really late) which always... just always depresses me to no end. All the traditional Christmas hymns make me feel sad and anxious and weird and I hate the service with the candles and all that shit. I hate it. It seems like it should be more of a celebratory service, you know, since it's like the birth of the newborn king and all.......... I don't know why I feel so depressed during the service honoring bebe Jesus's birth day. I wouldn't want anyone to feel depressed on my birthday... I wouldn't want anyone to feel depressed on Christmas.
Anyway, after that we basically rushed home to have dinner with Diana and her family. My mom made gumbo and the Lopez's and Andy were supposed to come over too, but they ended up not being able to make it. Jake wanted to continue participate in the tease of a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve and he got a good one from our Grandma.
“I remember my youth, when waiting for the weekend (or Christmas) felt like a lifetime. And now time slips through my fingers, refusing to be contained." (via)
...The anticipation and snuggly thoughts of the morning when you get to see the reaction of everyone opening the presents you got them, watching family movies snuggled under one big blanket, having people over on Christmas Eve and cracking each other up until you all ache, then kissing them goodbye (Santa ain't gone wait all night) and feeling the little bit of chilly air sneak into your warm house when you let them out.
And the traditions! Mmmm traditions... :)
Christmas was a little discrepant this year though, for whatever reason.
........................
On Christmas Eve it was pouring rain and I woke up late and had nothing to do and of course I was hungry, so I went to visit Sarah who was working all day and got a sandwich. After I came home it was time to leave for that little service at church, (yeah. I got up really late) which always... just always depresses me to no end. All the traditional Christmas hymns make me feel sad and anxious and weird and I hate the service with the candles and all that shit. I hate it. It seems like it should be more of a celebratory service, you know, since it's like the birth of the newborn king and all.......... I don't know why I feel so depressed during the service honoring bebe Jesus's birth day. I wouldn't want anyone to feel depressed on my birthday... I wouldn't want anyone to feel depressed on Christmas.
Anyway, after that we basically rushed home to have dinner with Diana and her family. My mom made gumbo and the Lopez's and Andy were supposed to come over too, but they ended up not being able to make it. Jake wanted to continue participate in the tease of a tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve and he got a good one from our Grandma.
Then Jake begged my dad to do it too, because I wasn't down this year.
So he did....
and of course Jake gave him the present he got for him to open.
(He made my dad secretly guess what it was on a piece of paper: "Star Wars on Blu Ray")
And Jake was completely shocked, amazed and cracked up over his spot-on guess...
(do you see my mom passed out on the couch behind Jake there?)
I wrapped a couple more presents and then met up with Andy for a midnight mass crash, which I enjoyed waaaay more than I thought I was. It was the most interesting thing. And this is coming from someone who grew up in a non-denominational Christian church (ain't too far off), but it was seriously weird and kind of beautiful and I love Andy and his family and the fact that they go even though they are zero percent religious, just to like... watch the whole thing go down. Can we make this annual?
........................
And Christmas morning...
(It srsly ^ makes me want to well up with tears getting to wake up to variations of this every Christmas morning, not being able to believe how blessed I am sometimes and how special my parents (mostly my dad) still makes Christmas.)
I embroidered Jake a Bob Marley One Love wall hanging and got him Breaking Bad paper dolls. I got my my mom Bridesmaids, and my dad Lord of The Rings PEZ ("If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?" "Well, that's easy... PEZ. Cherry flavored PEZ.") and a Daniel Johnston coffee table book. My dad will be getting about every kind of beer ever made from his multiple Beer-of-the-month club subscriptions that everyone all got him. He also got slippers, a new razor, and a few other bits like a Han Solo vintage action figure and fancy mustard from World Market. Jake got so very many video games (like 50 I think) (I'm joking, not 50), and a Swiss Army pocket knife and oh man I don't know what else cause I wasn't really paying attention... Mom got lots of Hello Kitty stuff, tea, really nice jewelry and art, and the Kimchi Chronicles & Uchi cookbook (so very ♥).
And I.....
Diana F+ & accessories
Stella McCartney edp gift set
1920s Vintage Beaded Purse
ASOS Sandals, Earrings, and a ring!
Uniball Pens (the best)
Moccasin House Slippers
Palmer's and Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Love Scrolls
Rice Candy & Candy Mints
Fruit
Jake got me a Taylor Swift blanket (bless him), my parents got me a GPS, my Grandpa got me giftcards to Sephora, JoAnns, and Shell (ha), and my Grandma got me a Singer (pretty baby) sewing machine and a little purple hat (they're divorced, so double presents!), and a bunch more cash from my mom's side of the family since Koreans don't really understand why anyone would want to receive anything but money (i'm not complainin)
(my stocking. w/ fruit, as always, like in Little Women.
"Father Christmas is really the BEST MAN, isn't he?!!?")
(An aftermath. And ok ^ based off this picture it looks like he also got a new football & basketball, the complete Walking Dead comic, pajama pants, book of football stats, new shoes, and so on and so on and so on..)
Then I peaced the fuck back up stairs to sleep after eating a delicious breakfast of Morning Buns and cream cheese bagels with Lox, snuggling and thanking my family for their thoughtfulness. I unintentionally slept the rest of the day until my dad woke me up for the nicest dinner he made. It was so special.
I wish I had that REAL warm fuzzy Christmas bonhomie feeling today like I usually do (Christmas with my immediate family is just the best), but it just wasn't there. Probably had something to do with me allowing poisonous people into my life, which I sorta want to get into later. Nonetheless, I have a lot to be thankful for <3
I remember being so hopeful and excited for a new year last year and I am going to consciously allow myself to feel that way again this year. 2012. yeah. YEAH.
