It doesn't feel like lazy...

I fear I am in a blocked state right now. K is bewildered when he comes home and asks "what did you do all day?" and I mutter something about yoga, running, and cleaning the office. I don't sit around watching tv all day, and today was the first day in a while I've napped.  I have no idea what's going on or how to combat it. I feel like I have this huge list of things to do and don't know where to start. Maybe I could actually physically make the list in no particular order and then DO them in the order I put them down because right now on the list things like Apply For Graduation are right next to Finish Obama Hope Cross-Stitch For My Brother.

Sigh. Anyone ever been there?

Bikram Yoga 60 Day Challenge

At the studio where I practice/work they're doing a studio-wide 60-day challenge, which basically means you sign up to do 60 straight days of yoga to see what happens. I am on day 4 and seem to have taken a couple steps back - the last two days have been more difficult than ever. However, one of the big things about the postures in Bikram is keeping your standing leg locked. I have come a VERY long way in this respect...in a lot of the postures I just stand there with my leg locked and count, then relax, then go after it again. I didn't realize just how out of shape I was until I started doing this practice! ugh!

In other news, the "ice storm" of '09 started out kind of lame - all day on Wednesday the news was on this 24/7 coverage of people clomping around in puddles saying, "Nope, no ice yet." Funny stuff.  That night though, the temperatures finally dropped and there was ice all over the place!  Kyle even got to stay home from work. We worked a little bit on the office, hung up some guitars, and I got to work on learning the mandolin :)

In also made some potato leek soup in honor of our last dinner in Colorado because it was just so cold out and suuuuper tasty!  Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup butter

2 leeks, sliced

salt & pepper

1 quart chicken (or vegetable) broth

1 Tbs cornstarch

4 c potatoes, diced * I used red potatoes and left the skins on 

2 c milk

okay so I cheated, the original recipe called for 1 cup of butter and 2 cups of heavy cream. Substitute in and out as you please :)

In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and cook leeks with salt and pepper until tender *here's where I added a little bit of garlic* stir frequently, for about 15 minutes

Stir cornstarch into broth and pour broth into the pot. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add milk/cream, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving. *and if you're adventurous, add a dash of cayenne pepper ;)

This was a really great recipe on a cold, icy day! We ate it with yummy garlic bread :)

25 Random Things

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note/post with 25 random things, facts, opinions, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 (ha! let's say, 5) people to be tagged. 

1. I just muted The Bachelor so I could think seriously about this.

2. I am at once grateful and terrified that I get to do the things I love most in this world: make music and help people.

3. I have started my own personal journey of a "spiritual renaissance." Newsflash: it's a lot harder to be in the Christian crowd when a) not all your friends go with you to youth group on Wednesday nights and b) some things done by the "Christian" community at large are really, hideously, embarrassing.

4. I wonder sometimes how American society has become this place where we are always judging and psychoanalyzing each other, even in close personal relationships, instead of just letting each other be. 

5. It literally breaks my heart when I hear of friends who make poor choices and then have to deal with those consequences. 

6. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, almost to a "wow - she's crazy." point.

7. I also believe that Quantum Physics explains a lot of spiritual stuff.  See? Crazy.

8. About every other week, the quote "I'm really glad you found music therapy because in undergrad there wasn't really anything you were really...you know...good at..." resonates in my brain. Outcomes are varied and often include self loathing and determination.

9. K and I have started talking about having kids, now that I'm nearly done with the degree and paying off my student loans is looking like it might happen one day.

10. and some days, it scares the crap out of me.

11. and then there are the days like yesterday when Random Kid randomly started yammering to me on the airplane about how he's really excited about going to see his mommy and the plane goed up and downed and do you want to get off the plane now?

12. I think people who talk to kids like they're kids sound ridiculous. How are they supposed to learn to talk and reason verbally? I've gotten the most respect and response from kids when you speak to them as adults.

13. Also, I think that when you expect adult things like saying yes and no m'am and not screaming just because your tv show is getting turned off if you do you're going straight to bed no argument, and eating at the dinner table with the family, you're doing much better by your children than 90% of this country.

14. I am blessed with the most insanely normal group of people to call family for in-laws.

15. I am also blessed with an incredibly eclectic, loving, funny, spiritual, random, mixed-up bag of tricks for a family that I seriously must have done some fabulous things in a past life to end up with.

16. I want to lose at least 30 pounds this year because I refuse to put my body through whatever having a baby and ending up at like 200 pounds would do to it.

17. I know patience is a virtue, but I can make impatience look kind of cute, so often I go with that.

18. I think Dave Matthews is one of the smartest people alive. Who else could come up with such wise sayings as, "tomorrow is no place to place your better days." or get away with the entire lyrics of the album "Crash" ?

19. My mom got debilitatingly sick when I was 9 and let me tell you - growing up that early ain't no picnic, but it certainly made me who I am today, which is, you know, fine, but somedays I wish it would have been different.

20. I only recently started self-identifying as "American." After traveling and living in different countries, I realized that we aren't as great as we say we are. It's getting better though.

21. I learned to crochet when I was a kid so, good luck - it takes a really long time to get good at it, which is probably why knitting pisses me off so much because I have only been doing that for a couple years.

22. It's not so much that I have crappy taste in music but that I have a broad appreciation for music, some of which includes a passion for, say, Kanye West.

23. I would drop everything for the opportunity to be a professional dancer like, in movies or on Broadway shows.

24. I think Kyle is going to be the coolest dad ever.

25. I need to eat a little tiny something sweet after dinner to feel really done with my day. Sometimes it's a piece of fruit, or dark chocolate, or better yet, both of those with a glass of wine.

So here you go - Suzy, Jackie, Kelli (if you haven't already done this), Daina (ha! you already did it!), Lyssa, and Megan

um, okay. weird.

So today, we decided to go skiiing after a morning of hanging out and playing a game, just me, Kyle, and Daniel. The rest of the folks went snow toobing, or, as I like to say, snoobing.

Serendipitously, my best friend Haley is ALSO in Breck, so we decided to go meet her on another mountain, Peak 8. So, we went over there, hung out in the warming hut and came out all pumped to ski and MY SKIS WERE MISSING. RAWR.

We hung out for probably an hour, and I said LOTS of prayers to St. Anthony and God, begged Jesus to work this out. A couple showed up, complaining that someone had also stolen THEIR Rossignol skis, and ended up taking some skis that fit them. Haley went to meet her friend and boyfriend, and ended up taking the gondola down to a happy hour. So, Daniel left, to go meet up with Kyle and about a half hour after THAT, Haley left with her friend Melissa and we were all going to meet up for a happy hour in town.

On the bus to our car, Haley calls me and says, "hey you're not going to believe this but...my friend Melissa has your skis." My name was on the skis. Duh.

Dude. Seriously.

Kyle would also like me to mention that he made it down a green slope his second day on a snowboard and didn't totally eat it. More later - I love vacation!!! Thanks for all the prayers! Altitude sickness has completely subsided, and hey, we found the skis :)

8 Things About Me

I think I was tagged? Before trips I cannot sleep out of anticipation, so...here you go.

8 TV Shows I Watch:
1. True Beauty
2. Battlestar Galactica
3. Ugly Betty
4. Grey's (sometimes)
5. Big Bang Theory
6. How I Met Your Mother
7.
8.

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Best Thai
2. Dream Cafe
3. Casa de Luz
4. Kenichi
5. Pirhana
6. The Spanish Tapas bar near us I forgot the name
7. Panera (but only in St. Louis, where everyone calls it "Bread Company")
8. Imo's Pizza (speaking of St. Louis)

8 Things That Happened To Me Today:
1. Watched the coolest inauguration ever
2. Ate yummy fajitas
3. Crocheted a hat, then realized it was too big (yes, even for my head)
4. Bought a camera case out in Podunk, Tx
5. Applied for reduced tuition
6. Got into gamelan ensemble without having to sign up in the class, which is rad.
7. Worked on the Shepard Fairey Obama Hope poster cross-stitch
8. Packed for Breck!

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. 60 day yoga challenge
2. Sunday migas or waffles
3. Cooking with Kyle
4. Planting my Spring/Summer garden
5. Redoing the master bath
6. Toobing in the Summer
7. Danskin Triathlon
8. Seeing family

8 Things I Wish For:
1. My favorite people to live in Dallas
2. Better discipline
3. A clean office
4. Being better at that whole slow to speak quick to listen thing
5. Healthy babies one day (not any time soon don't anyone freak out)
6. A job
7. Better lives for the kids I worked with in Austin and at grief camp
8. My thesis to write itself

Playlist

As per Runner's World magazine, I added some tunes to my iPod that, quite frankly, made my run yesterday awesome:

Where Are We Runnin'? - Lenny Kravitz

Live Your Life - TI & Rihanna

Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Faith - George Michael

Faith was toward the beginning of my run and I was cracking up the whole time. It's really hard not to picture George Michael strutting and singing to you while you're getting all hot and sweaty. Toward the end of my run times (15 minutes! w00t!) I have to play songs to motivate me and gosh darn if that crazy therapeutic music doesn't work. First was Live Your Life, which was really, really surprisingly inspiring the last 3 or so minutes when I feel like dying. Oh and of course there's Ozomatli's Can't Stop, which I sometimes play in a loop if I get to the end of the song and have more running to do. The lyrics, "Can't stop now - got to keep moving - we've got faith in what love can do - shake it shake it shake shake it..." just get me going :)

Flipping thrilled :)

So, we're getting a new president in a couple days, which re

minds me of a dream I had recently. I was on a cargo plane with a bunch of people, Will Smith, and the current president. I told my friend Ollie that wow Will Smith was really good looking in person, then I turned to Bush Jr. and said, "So, you glad this thing's going to be over soon?" and he said, "psshshhYEAAAHH" in a relieved sort of way. It cracked me up the next morning. I am really glad Obama won by a landslide, and like I said before, I don't think he poots rainbows and butterflies, and I know there is a crazy huge list of things for him to tackle, but I do know that this is the first time I voted and cared about the candidates, am going to actually watch the inauguration and pay attention to the speech. I am deeply hoping that the cynicism that many McCain voters had will subside because I am tired of the 2 or 3 in my life coming up with really random crap about Obama to get really. ticked. off. about.  Like the Email that my dad sent me AFTER the vote about how Obama doesn't take care of his dad's 3rd or 4th wife's poor kid in Africa. A friend recently likened politics to football games, about how people get so involved in rooting for the team and they have their lifelong commitments to this team or that one and get really, deeply hurt when their team loses. Like Texas/OU weekend, you know? Anyway, I hope that this president will bring people together if for no other reason than he is now your president, my president.

Also, on a less global front, this weekend is over, which means I get my Techie of the Year (no, not kidding) hubs back. Also, stoked because I went to a flea market yesterday and found the cutest little desk :) 

In terms of working out and such, I am coming to realize that with the lack of metabolism my family has so graciously blessed me with, losing weight is HARD freaking WORK. Daily work. I found encouragement in something I was reading about fad diets and research shows that the slower weight takes to get off, the better chance you have it'll stay off. That had better be true.

Pray.

    When I read stories like this it makes me think of how smart God is, using the internets to get people together and everything.

sigh...

Happy Birthday, grandpa Brandon - miss you.

what's with today, today?

bleeeeeeeeegh.

That's how today has been. I woke up sore and exhausted - I've worked out 13 out of the last 16 days this year, and I think this morning my body had totally just had it. So, I cleaned up from the little 26-year bday party and sat around watching tv. You know it's serious when that happens. I found out that I actually kind of like the West Wing, and I caught up on the ABC show True Beauty...seriously, anything executively produced by Ashton Kutcher and/or Tyra Banks, I'll watch it. Those shows are my weakness.

I was bummed because I was supposed to do a run workout today but could NOT for the life of me get the motivation to do it. So, I ate a leftover cupcake and some tasty black bean stir-fry with kale and hopefully will feel better tomorrow. I think it might have something to do with the pizza, sangria, and beer from last night making me feel all icky.

I'm really excited about a few things coming up this week: first, school is starting back up, which means I'll have some accountability for getting my thesis rolling...I finally got bored enough with trying to get the house back together that I printed out some paperwork and lined up almost all my data. Second, we're going to Colorado on Wednesday! It's the first ski trip for K and the first time since my senior year in high school to hit the slopes and I am so thrilled! I LOVE skiing and I'm really glad I learned how to when I was younger because that whole uhhhh-let's-think-about-this-flinging-ourselves-down-a-mountain-thing is pretty much lost on me. I also love hot chocolate and chili when there's SNOW on the ground! And MOUNTAINS! Can you tell I'm excited? Third, and this kind of goes along with #2 but with my Xmas and Bday money I'm going to get a new tiny camera so I can take it on the mountain, and pretty much take it everywhere with me. We have a bulkier camera that I like using for artsy fartsy stuff but I've been craving a slim point-and-shoot to throw in my purse for everyday stuff.

Finally, the yoga studio I frequent has started a work-for-trade program where basically I go with two other people once a week and clean, and then get free unlimited yoga. Considering the sessions are $20 a pop and I am as of yet gainfully unemployed I am beyond thrilled that this is going to work out. Speaking of working out, tomorrow is my run 10 minutes/walk 5 minutes x2 and then next week the run bumps up. The book I'm reading puts the end of the training around the beginning of June, and by then I should technically be ready to run a marathon, which I'm not going to do, but it'll be fantastic cross training endurance-wise for the triathalons.

I realize the post is just a wee bit tangental - I've got a little bit of cabin fever and am just excited about connecting with the outside world.

diet and excercise? what a concept.

Besides eating, sleeping, cooking, and working out, things have been quiet around here because I've been busy busy busy organizing my house.  

The biggest thing I guess is I've been really paying attention to what I eat and how much of it and what I do (good things!) or do not (coffee! sodas! excess sweets!) put in my body and you know what? I saw 170lbs this morning, which is exciting because I was at 175 on the 1st. It's probably all water weight but my goal is to be comfortably and consistently under 170 by the end of the month. Also, I went for my 5 min jog/5 min walk x3 yesterday (for 30 minutes) and I felt AWESOME. My legs felt really really good and strong. I'll be a runner...one day...

Ha!

Resolution update: I have not touched my beloved guitar, piano OR mandolin yet this year, mostly because since getting back from New Year travels, I've been organizing the house and getting it together like crazy. Our living room has been cleaned and de-Christmasified, and the kitchen is on its way to actually working. Much thanks to mom and grandma who for Christmas not only gave me and K our very own china (from my mom's marriage to my dad) but places to store them.

keeping up with the stockses

I forgot to post this in my last entry, but I post my workouts at a place called Daily Mile, which is a sort of social networking/workout log site where people can meet others who are biking/running/swimming in their area and may be doing the same races. So, if you're wanting to join up in this crazy triathlon adventure (ahem, Kelli) then have a look at DM.

Resolution update: I've been drinking only water (except for the occasional glass of wine and a cranberry mimosa yesterday yummm) and walked my 30 minutes almost every day except Saturday...it was a travel day from Arkansas and I made up for it by walking 45 minutes yesterday.  Thinking about joining the YMCA because they have a pool.

first two days of triathlon training :)

I have to admit that doing the Danskin (.75k (1/2 mile) swim, 20k (12 miles) bike, 5k (3.1 miles) run) last year was ridiculously empowering and made me want more. The Great Kate and I did that one, and she went on to do another sprint distance in August (the Austin tri? I don't remember the name...) and started throwing around the idea of an olympic (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6.2 mile run) this year. The thought makes me kind of nauseous. At any rate, I got to thinking that if an olympic is on the map, then I could train for the olympic tri and do the Danskin as kind of a warmup.

So, I've started walking, and am giving myself 6 months to really focus on running. In terms of the bike, friends of ours just moved out into the boonies so there are lots of good biking roads near their house to take advantage of. I also live a mile from Whole Foods and 3 miles from Sprouts and a bikram studio, so on good days, I'll bike instead of drive. And then there's the swimming, probably the only one of the three that I really, REALLY enjoy. Now at least I've done a race and know what to expect (panic!) in the first few minutes of the swim and I can tweak my form so I turn all the way over to breathe so that I don't swallow so much water.

I'm interested in getting into adventure races, too - like Urban Dare or Muddy Buddy
both of which I would need partners for (hint, hint).

resolving, and such.

So, I've spent a lot of thinking and journaling over the resolutions bit and so far I have themes and some of the specifics worked out...

Health: 1) Quitting sodas cold turkey. A quote from Skinny Bitch said something along the lines of "there is nothing in sodas that is good for you, so quit drinking them." 2) Walking at least 30 minutes every day. 3) Cutting WAAAY back on alcohol. Like, one drink when drinking is happening. I don't tolerate it well, it screws up my sleep, makes me terrifically uncool and makes me fat. No thank you. 4) Vegetarianism is back in full swing but with modifications...less cheese, and a switch over to wheatless stuff. My aunt is a nutritionist and thinks there's a metabolic trend in our family to not process it well. Doesn't hurt to give restraint (and quinoa) a try.

Ha! I've typed God, Jesus, and Spirituality for the next heading and erased them all, because I don't know what to say and I don't want to sound like an idiot. I know that I want to find a church, find some good cozy real community, be more intentional about spending time in prayer, reading the Bible. I know that the faith I had in HS and in college leaned a lot on the beliefs of others, and a lot has happened to shape my views. They're still in the process. Bear with me.

Professionally: 1) Practice piano and guitar every day.

There's more...later.

thank goodness for the new year...

Save for the glittering hope of Jesus on Christmas, the home stretch of December is usually a dark one, and this year so far hasn't failed me in that respect. I have always loved New Year's Eve celebrations, ever since I was a little kid, and even more so when a NYE kiss brought me and Kyle back together. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that my birthday is exactly two weeks from January 1st and I looooove birthdays, especially mine, and also because I love the idea that you can start over, that one can spend those dark, cold days reflecting on a year of blessings, mistakes, laughter, tears, and figure out what can be improved upon.

I am sad when I encounter people who indignantly say, "I made a resolution to never make any more resolutions and it's the only one I've kept!" because I see hope in the new year, in the renewing of promises to yourself, ones that just maybe, this year, will be the year. I love making resolutions and try to do short-term ones throughout the year so as to not get bogged down by unrealistic ones. Last year my resolution was to do a triathlon and to my astonishment actually finished, wasn't the last person across the line, and contracted the "tri-bug" that people talk about and want to do another next year, maybe two. Turning 25 this past year also had a significant impact on me, and I resolved to become more independent. While I think I have come a long way, I know I still have a long way to go, and it's all about the baby steps.

I read somewhere recently that it is far more difficult to not achieve your goals than it is to go out and do them. So if you're scrooging on the resolutions thing, I would encourage you to sit down and be realistic with yourself and find a goal to strive towards. The important thing to do I think is to come up with ideas of things that could get in your way and then problem solve how to get around them so that when the first one comes up you don't give up altogether. There were several times that I skipped workouts but the fact that I had told lots of friends and family that I was doing a triathlon sobered me up and kept me going because I didn't want to be that girl, the one who said a lot but never actually did anything.

And hey, maybe if you come up with something and you have a blog, you could post your goal and we could all support each other in our endeavors. I still have to narrow mine down, so I'll be posting January 1st. Anyone with me?

Silent Night

I can never, ever get through Silent Night without crying. 

Never.

Not since the Lonliest Christmas Ever - my boyfriend and I had broken up finally, my dad and I weren't speaking, and my mom and I were alone at a candlelight Christmas service in San Antonio. Actually, we were at Max Lucado's church, and wow can that man tell a story (but you already knew that). I have always loved candlelight services for a couple different reasons. Mostly, I love candles. I have a swirly candle holder thing that K and I got for our wedding that is tedious as crap to light but when people are coming over in the evening I light 'em up (and every other candle in the house) because I love candles.  In the church services, I love the way that the light spreads through the congregation as people light each other's candles, how it reminds me of the need for community in faith because my little light is okay by itself but check out what it can do when all these other people also have light.

Anyway, I don't remember how we ended up at Oak Hills Church, but when it came to the part where we sing Silent Night and everyone holds up there candles, I remember thinking, "God, I'm trying really hard to be grateful but how can I when this is all that is left of my family?" And I heard Him very quietly say, "Look around.  This is your family," and instead of staring sorrowfully at my solo candle, I looked around at the multitude of lights, the illuminated faces of the Church and was immediately overwhelmed by love, which of course brought the Ugly Cry on full force.

So, whenever we sing that song, tears come to my eyes because it reminds me of how far my family HAS come, and quite literally puts me on my knees in gratitude for Kyle, for my crazy family, for my friends who have always been like family. 

Little Village

This is too much cuteness not to post: Make Your Own Village

Stand By Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6fT1acr0u0

Chess.

The holidays for my family is always like playing this big complicated board game that Kyle would easily win and I would hate.  I like games like Scrabble, where the fun is in the playing, not in destroying your opponent. 

This holiday we were going to go to Mexico because of a misunderstanding between my mother and I (I apparently led folks to believe that I wanted to have Christmas love-in with my dad/stepmother and my mom *I know, wtf* when instead I was hypothesizing that the two parties would have to figure something out when Kyle and I decide to have kids and stay put for a holiday) and a drunk "Hey let's go to Mexico!" on a Jason Mraz tour bus. Unfortunately, last minute trips are kind of expensive, but not too expensive that we couldn't do it, so we made some sacrifices, pushed back some things we wanted to get for the house, and decided to go for it. Except, when traveling on the holidays, hotels like for you to stay for at least 5 nights.  Well, we were going for 4. BUT my cousin would be going for a week so maybe we could get a suite.  Maybe we could all stay together. That wasn't going to work either. It wasn't for lack of trying, but we just couldn't all find something we could agree on. 

SO. For the holidays. K and I will be in the NB/SA area, probably taking my grandmother out for dinner because she doesn't want us to have to cook. Fine with me. We'll also be hanging out with my dad and stepmom, and probably renting a U-Haul of sorts to get a piano, cedar chest with our china and other goodies from around San Antonio (my sister's dad is moving and left us with some sweet art-deco-ey chairs.  I haven't seen 'em yet but he's an architect and has fantastic taste so it's not like I'm going to say no) for our house.

All this has made me think about what are the traditions from my childhood that I hold very dearly to that I will defend for my whole life? Well, I know some people don't like it but my abuela's mac and cheese is unmatched by anyone in the universe, so having that is ideal, but I don't know that I'm going to get it this year unless I make it. Then there's the opening of one present if we happen to make it to midnight on Christmas Eve (tequila shot optional). The one thing that I feel very, VERY strongly about is that I will find some tamales and coffee so we can have them on Christmas morning. No matter what we had going on that year, I would wake up to presents from Santa under the tree as the smell of tamales baking and fresh coffee brewing mingled with Christmas magic and lights. I didn't yet have the taste for coffee, but I distinctly remember all the adults watching me open presents, eating tamales, then everyone crowding around and opening presents together.

There are other visions and smells from the holidays that I will never get back - my grandfathers sitting on the couch watching football, my mom and dad cooking together, making bread in the big white breadmaker, my dad's huge hands spreading mayo on the turkey as I peered over the counter from my tiptoes, everyone sitting around the big table in the dining room. Garrison Keillor during a Prairie Home Companion last year talked about how no matter how rebellious the kids are, the holiday traditions are what keep them grounded because by golly if the green beans aren't done with the same amount of crunch they have always had, these kids with the dark eyeliner, black hair and angsty aura will birth a chicken.

I think I am still in the process of mourning those and the loss of those, and I think which is why I hang on so crazily to the tamales and coffee.  In fact, when my mom came to St. Louis a couple years back she brought a ton of tamales and we had them every morning leading up to and on Christmas day. It is so awesome to wake up in the morning to a cozy house in the early morning hours to the smell of tamales and coffee.  Thankfully, when my sister started hosting Christmases at her house, she brought the tradition back at a time when I could participate as an adult, so it's also one of those rite of passages thing, like when we were playing Santa for Katrina and taking the bites out of the cookies...it was surreal to be on the other side of the magic. 

I forgot to add this earlier but, it would probably also explain why I would jump up and down, giggle, and clap at odd intervals while Kyle was putting lights up on the house, why I didn't mind wrestling with the prickly bushes to get the multicolored net lights on them, why I didn't complain about putting up all the ornaments on the tree (Kyle was smart and did the lights for me...doesn't matter how nostalgic I am, I still hate that dang part). He would look at me like I was a crazy person and I would yell, "SHUT UP!  THIS IS PROGRESS!"  Progress in the same way that I was a complete Scrooge and all anxious about spending our first Christmas in St. Louis...something that started melting when all the aunts came outside and sang us "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" when we pulled into the drive.

What holiday stuff is important to you?  Do you think about the holidays differently now that you're an adult?