This year, Christmas was extra nice. It started with my entire family being in one place, and ended up that I got to see just about everyone in both families for at least a little while!

Wednesday: We flew out Christmas eve thoroughly prepared to spend it in an airport. Not only were our flights on time, they were even a little early! No luggage lost, nothing broken, and the crowds were not even that bad. The only issue was that, despite each carefully planning one checked bag, two different airlines both charged us $15 for the first checked bag. Seriously guys: build that into the ticket price. That being said, I can't complain. Then my whole family piled into two cars for Christmas eve service. There weren't a lot of people in attendance, but my family took up the entire pew.

Thursday: Yay, Christmas! We got up and opened gifts. I think I gave pretty good gifts this year, and everyone seemed happy. And new running clothes for me! Then we went over to my aunt and uncle's new home for Christmas dinner. We met my cousin's fiance, ate more than anyone really should, and played silly games.

Friday: The big surprise day. We started by running some errands and Christmas shopping (the advantage of multiple Christmases is a few extra sale days to shop). Then the family came over for my mom's lasagna. No one knew! Just as we were about to cut into the cake, I saw the limo lights pull up. All 10 of us piled in, and we drove through Tilles Park, downtown (why don't they light the arch??), and a stop to see the Macy's storefront windows. It was an oddly warm night around 60 degrees, but everyone seemed so happy.

Saturday: When it's 60 degrees in December, you should really suspect something is up. As my poor mom was running around getting everyone and everything ready, the skies opened up and it poured. Flash-flooding kind of pouring. Before the party I was working through the endless order questions for the wedding invitations when I thought Andy took a picture. Documenting the momentous occasion of ordering our invitations (which no one seemed interested in! Why do them at home)? It was lightning, and the thunder sounded right over the house. All a couple of hours before the engagement party! Despite the weather the party was amazing, the food was plentiful and tasty, and I got to meet a lot of my parents' friends and my mom's new coworkers. A lot of people didn't come, but as the roads were flooded I'd say they had a good excuse; the party was pretty large anyway. Rather than gifts, my mom organized a canned food drive, and so many people participated! People also brought us congratulatory cards, and hopefully I'll be able to scrapbook them somehow.

Sunday: Late-ish breakfast and on the plane to Omaha. By now everyone was pretty tired, but had been a great trip and I was ready to have Christmas all over again. We arrived without incident (empty airports again!), had dinner, and talked until late. I'm so lucky for such nice future in-laws.

Monday: I think we saw almost all of Omaha. The highlight of the day: finding a beautiful wedding cake topper. I was so tired of the scary-faced plastic variety, and in hindsight not even sure why I was so bent on a cheap plastic one in the first place.

Tuesday: Andy's brother was scheduled to fly in late that night. We spent almost all day at the Durham museum, which used to be the central train station. It is absolutely amazing inside, with art deco architecture and more history about Omaha than you could ever begin to imagine. Plus, an enormous 40' live Christmas tree! Next we crossed a new pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River. I saw more in the pictures than in real life because the gusty cold wind made me want to burrow in my ski jacket. We went out for La Casa pizza (or pizzaburger, as I think of it), and watched the flight status. I stayed home and read my book when everyone went to pick Andy's brother up. As excited as I was, I couldn't make him squeeze into a car with 5 people after being stuck in a plane all evening!

Wednesday: Happy new year's eve! We opened gifts while Andy's dad was home on lunch break. Hello magnetic spice rack!! Then we visited with some fellow LA residents before going to a nice dinner and out to a bar for the evening. I have to admit - I had so much fun last year that I was a little sad to be spending it in Omaha, especially as this particular bar was full of middle aged men that were quite interested (and I was not even dressed for the occasion ... jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt). I stuck with our group, we came back and watched Get Smart, and crashed around 4 in the morning!

Thursday: Time to go home. I was pretty bummed to be going home by myself after having such a good time with family. But on the way home I finished Angels & Demons, and had not a single flight delay or problems in the again practically empty airports.

Now, back to LA, not starting a new semester at school, and starting to enjoy planning a lovely wedding!

Happy new year!

Sorry to say it, but I'm glad 2008 is over. I'm glad school is over, and I'll be getting a new job soon (not that I don't like the one I have), the epic house shopping fail is over, the wedding is finally around the corner (91 days!), and after June I really have no big goals to shoot for.

The Christmas trip was wonderful, and I'd be sad it's over except for that there are so many exciting things coming up. This year:

• Get married! Finally and for real!
  
• Graduate. Technically, I graduated on the 17th. But I think graduation will be fun.
  
• Cake decorating classes
• Reading more books. Somewhere I need to start a list.
  
• 2 week vacation
• Building a livable, long-term home

No new year's resolutions here. I am officially ... on vacation.

If I had all the money in the world and a fabulous house (ok, maybe just a place with a dining room rather than slightly larger kitchen) this would be the table I'd have to have.


$1800 for an impractical dining room table isn't that ridiculous, is it?

Friday Andy came home from work and really wanted to go see Slumdog Millionaire. I didn't know anything about it, but why not? After all, it's not like I had schoolwork to worry about (and yeah, I'll pull that one a lot).

I really liked it! Of course, if I liked it, that probably gives away the ending.

If you go see it, be sure to stay for the credits. I like big bollywood dance numbers - all movies should have one.<

Why I am not able to cook at home right now:

And that's only about half of the gingerbread army, the rest that's behind me in the picture cover the rest of the counters! I made most of these Saturday and just about wore me out completely!

This year:

• Gingerbread cookies
• Poinsettia cookies (which I make with a holly cookie cutter, and are corn starch based)
• Buckeyes (with rice crispies - who knew no one makes them with rice crispies???)
• Peppermint bark
• Butterscotch cornflakes
• Cream cheese cookies (with red velvet cake!)

I didn't think I would get to make all these this year, as there's so little time between Thanksgiving, finals, and Christmas.

The shopping is all finished, and I'm pretty happy with the gifts I've picked out. Of course, this year, I really don't want anything (yeah, I'm the obnoxious person on your list like that). I've already gotten my gift from USC. And I'll enjoy the big surprise I have for my family as much as I hope they will.

We're leaving Wednesday and really hoping the weather doesn't ruin the trip.

Well, that's it. Three years over and done, as of last Thursday. It's still a little hard to wrap my brain around the fact that I won't have to take more classes in the spring, and of course it's a little anticlimactic as there is no graduation ceremony until May. But, regardless, it seems that I've finished my MBA (I have one grade already, which is insanely quick, but to be fair my other class's final wasn't scheduled until tomorrow so a lot of people haven't taken it yet).

Thursday night I pulled the last number off of the closet door countdown, had pink champagne, and even talked to my mom although it was crazy late there. Friday I went for a nice long run, decorated the Christmas tree, and went to dinner & a movie with some friends. Saturday was Christmas shopping and a going-away party (that was fun despite the circumstances), and Sunday I made buckeyes and spent most of the day at Disneyland. That's right: all fun, all weekend. I'm re-integrating into society!

Of course, I still worry about discovering a big red F in my transcript, or that there was a certain class I was supposed to take and didn't, or some other kind of mistake. Other universities make you apply to graduate, but I have to say the PM office has really taken care of most everything for me.

I don't really bring it up at work unless it's important (I had to leave the holiday party a little early to fight traffic for my last exam), and someone even asked me today where I was going to school. It makes me feel a little awkward to talk to people about it sometimes - it's this enormous part of my life, a lot of people I know are getting or already have post-graduate degrees, and yet really very few people (9.4%) do.

Either way, it appears to be over with, but there is quite a bit that will keep me busy for a while!

OK. I have 16 days left of school. And I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Las Vegas (don't judge! my homework is almost done!).

Meanwhile I started thinking about making a turkey ... today ... I have 3 ladies who need some sort of blue dress and are kindly waiting for me to pick it out, I have invitations to order, a musician to pay, and a list of things to do when I get to be a human being again. And THEN I will blog some more.