santa got ran over by a reindeer...

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday :)

Christmas was good this year, it was nice to be home. There is just something about being home for Christmas, no matter how much your family drives you crazy. While last year was fun being in Scotland, the usual Christmas crazy was just what I wanted. 

I worked Christmas Eve, cocktail waitressing. The day was crazy though, it was an icy morning on the roads, so Dad drove Mom to work, which slightly messed up the car plans for the day. So while I was cleaning, wrapping presents and such in my room, Dad noticed it was getting cold. So after a few minutes we realised the furnace was broken. So trying to get someone to come out Christmas Eve and someone who was approved to work with the State was fun. So Dad had to be at work for 1. So Mom left work early, and I went and picked her up, so I could have her car so I could go to work later on. Luckily someone was able to come out and fix it, so we could have heat. I'm just glad it wasn't a few days earlier when it was in the teens. So after work, where it was BUSY, we opened our presents. 

Now that we are all older, it is easier to open them Christmas eve, instead of on Christmas morning. I got a few surprises, but most of my gifts I picked out earlier this week. But I was happy, I got a bookshelf (I have boxes and boxes of books as well as stacks everywhere in my room), clothes, a few CDs, a Coach wristlet, my Dad's favourite photo of me with a little thing about my name (which seriously fits me to a T) and a few other random things. So it was a good Christmas. The funny part was my sister opened up her first three presents and in the boxes was three pairs of gloves, it was hilarious. Her face on the fourth box was this better not be gloves...

Christmas morning we headed over to my Dad's cousins for Christmas brunch, every year my Great-Grandmother would hold brunch for her family, so it was one of the two times a year everyone gets together (which is funny because we all seriously live within 15 minutes) and after she died three years ago, my Dad's cousin hosts it. It is nice and a great way to kick off Christmas. Then we headed over to my Dad's brother for Christmas dinner. As soon as we got there I headed straight to the twins. I have only seen them once (July) since they have been born  last March. They are adorable. So most of Christmas I had one baby on my lap :)  Drank lots and lots of wine and dinner was yummy. So it was a great day, with lots of usual family crazy and laughing. 

Yesterday we had my Grandparents over for dinner, and my sister's boyfriend is spending a few days with us. This morning was fabulous, I met a friend from college in Princeton for breakfast. It was great to see her, the last time I saw her was graduation. A funny mishap though, so Princeton is halfway between us, and because it is Jersey, we figured meet up at a diner. So we google mapped, Princeton Diners. There were two on 206, so we picked one.  So driving this morning, after passing through the center of Princeton, I'm like I must have missed it, so I turn around and drive back.... Nope, no Diner. So I call Chels and I'm like did you find it? No, why don't we just meet downtown. So we had pancakes at this fabulous pancake place and talked for an hour and a half about college, life in Ireland and Pittsburgh, and just hilarious stories. It was great :)

Now, the family is on our way into the city for the evening to be tourists and to look at the Christmas tree and all the decorations. I absolutely love Christmas in NYC, there is no place like it. I loved London and Edinburgh, but the atmosphere in NYC is just unique.