I can't belive the holidays have already come and gone and we are already ino the New Year! I apologize again for the lack of posts! With Christmas, a snow storm, work, and New Years - time has not been on my side for writing a quality post! But I have been thinking of you, my dear readers - and I sincerely hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you a Happy New Year!
Christmas was very different in our house this year. My brother, Sean, had to serve the 7:30am mass on Christmas day. Normally our family goes to the 8:00 Christmas Eve mass - so to wake up on Christmas morning and not go downstairs and immediately open presents was quite strange.
My brother Patrick, and his wife, Karen spent Christmas day at Karen's parents' house in Virginia. So that was a little weird too - as this was the first time Patrick was not with us on Christmas day.
And of course, Christmas was my Dad's absolute favorite holiday and we miss him most during this time of the year. He could have easily played the role as Clark Griswold in "Christmas Vacation." He loved putting up decorations, hanging lights, buying presents and most importantly having his family together for the "hap-hap-happiest Christmas!" (One time my parents even booked a limo ride for our family to go look at Christmas lights one year. And my Dad cracked jokes about how he needed his sunglasses on streets that literally did not even have an inside house light on...so I guess you could argue Clark Griswold had nothing on Pat Noonan.)
Anyway, Christmas morning was different this year but my Mom, sisters and brother (and Misty) made it as nice as possible. We opened presents after mass and of course, after changing back into our pajamas!
Sean was beyond excited to get a cell phone - which Santa tricked him by putting it in a JC Penny box...
Then we went to my Mom's brother, Johnny's, house for Christmas dinner. Almost my Mom's entire side of the family was there, and we all brought various dishes which made it really nice! My specialty is baking - so I brought a tray of cookies! Sean, Regina and my Mom helped me make them - and I think they were a hit!
Then on the way home from Christmas dinner, we were listening to the radio and of course they were predicting a blizzard to hit - beginning very early the next morning. Since I had driven home I had no choice but to drive back to the 'bokes at 10:30 on Christmas night. It was so upsetting. I had to pack up all of my presents, clothes, etc in my car and hurry back to my apartment. The next day we were supposed to celebrate Christmas with Patrick and Karen - so I didn't even get to see them for the holidays.
Nevertheless, I made it back safely and braced myself for the 20+ inches of snow that hit the greater New York area.
That week I worked from home quite a bit since Hoboken was hardly dug out, even as of Tuesday!
Then on Thursday night, Regina came up for the weekend and for a New Years Eve party with my college friends. We ordered in dinner and just watched some shows and caught up with everything going on in our lives on Thursday night. On Friday we hung around a lot of the day and then got ready to go to Stamford for the NYE house party.
We took two pictures of us in our dresses and we hated both of them and deleted them. AND we forgot to get another one before the night was over...so I am very sad to say that we don't have a picture from NYE... :(
Regina was the photographer of this group shot... wish she would have been in it...
And this picture is from right after the turn of the New Year!
The next day, Tom, Regina and I went to Tom's parents' house on Long Island. It is tradition in his family to make homemade gnocchi every January 1. So Regina was invited this year and she met all of Tom's Dad's side of the family! We had a great time and it was so nice for them to meet my sister!
Sunday, Regina and I watched almost all of Season 1 of Modern Family. We were so tired for all the hustle and bustle of the weekend - it was nice to just lay around! Then on Sunday night I brought Regina back into NYC to hop on a train back home. I loved having her up for the weekend and hope that she can come back on summer break! :)
Oh, and as far as New Year's Resolutions - well - I would like to be as carefree as the people on public transportation who are so into the music on their iPods that they are singing and dancing to it and could care less that they are with total strangers...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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