threesixtyfive

Steve and Amanda seriously saved our holidays. They had us over for Christmas brunch, and then again for New Year’s Eve. If it wasn’t for them, we would have been home by ourselves for the whole holiday. Well, let’s correct that, Culann would have been at work and I would have been home by myself.

Mike and Dana joined us for New Year’s Eve, and we had a great night full of Apples to Apples, champagne, wine, 18 pounds of taco dip, and a late night round of Dirty Words that was for some reason the funniest thing I had ever heard. Yup, I have the sense of humor of an 8 year old.

I must have missed seeing the Xmas crackers under the tree on Xmas Eve, so we had a late celebration, crowns and all.

Cleveland Heights is amazing. Well, Cleveland Heights and the surrounding towns, I guess. I imagine it’s the kind of thing that you don’t even notice if you grew up here, but this area is packed with amazing old homes and buildings. Most of the homes in Cleveland Heights were built between 1920 and 1929, and they have such amazing details and gorgeous architecture. Today as I was driving down a part of Mayfield that I’m not usually on, out by Lindhurst, I noticed the library, which was at one point a private home, and I had to stop. It’s just beautiful.

I don’t even want to think about the heating bill.

Our dinner:

And the goldies’ dinner:

On my way back from Jersey, I stopped to see Smithville Park again, to try to figure out where we’ll have our wedding ceremony. In my illogical mind, I picture us getting married in the woods, down a hiking trail in a little clearing. You know, a little clearing that fits 200 people and chairs.

This was the best day I’ve had in a while. I started out helping Christine clean out her office. After 10 years in the same office, my parents’ company is moving. Most of what they do can be done without an office, and Christine can work from home. So, 10 years of files, computers, coffee machines have to be packed up. I have a strange sort of nostalgia for this office. I spent a summer in college doing some small projects for my parents, and when I think of visiting Christine over the past 10 years, a lot of my memories start with meeting her here. I’ll miss the office, in a strange way.

When we had finished moving boxes, I continued to disrupt Christine’s plans for the day by suggesting that we meet Mom for drinks before dinner with Dad and Tony.

Once we got back from dinner, my parents and I stayed up until almost 2:00 chatting, even though they both had to go to work the next day. It was so sweet – at around midnight, they said they really should get to bed, but they didn’t. Then they said it again at 1:00, and finally around 2, they headed up. I had forgotten how nice it is to just talk to them.

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner with my parents while Culann was in town, and then I spent the next two days with them before driving back home for Xmas Eve.

Dinner at my parents’ house:

My best imitation of “Dad pose.” Heh heh heh. Check out the death stare he’s giving me in the background.

I used to help my Dad every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving, to put up the Christmas lights. Inevitably, we waited for the day when it rained to get started. I’m glad to see he has kept up the tradition.

My fav pics from our early Xmas with the Kramers:

Why does Ripley always look like she’s about to cry when I’m holding her? Maybe she’s mad that I haven’t taken her to Cleveland yet.

Damn you, Uncle Culann! How is she so happy????

Ripley likes wrapping paper more than presents. I guess it’s more fun to gum.

I worked very hard mapping out gastric and intestinal hormones, and I can guarantee I will remember less than half of this when I go to study it again.

These are my favorite pics from Ben’s surprise bday dinner, which Ayrel did a great job planning and Culann and I did a great job not telling Ben about.