Christmas and a Happy New Year

9:06 PM

Christmas Eve we drove to a particular street in Roswell, said to have a nice neighborhood Christmas light display. Let's just say it wasn't the sort of display we were used to visiting in California. So we drove around the town, in search of more to make the trip worthwhile.

Spencer woke up Christmas morning like an excited kid. We dove in to our hand-made stockings first, which I had just finished crocheting the night before. I was pretty impressed with myself, and hope St. Nick was, too.

Christmas morning

Spencer found an assortment of tools, nick-knacks, and candy, and I found more of the same in a different variety. Seinfeld made an appearance.

We breaked for breakfast. Spencer made his holiday cinnamon-rolls to go with eggs. While digesting, we set up Skype with my family, who had yet to get in to anything.

While they came and went, doing their morning animal chores, Spencer and I opened the gifts they had given us, followed by the gifts from his family and each-other.

The first gift I had opened from Spencer had me stunned. He had thoughtfully bought two pairs of white shoes, fabric markers, and had drawn Disney characters on them. They were so well done, I had to ask if he drew them himself. The degree of his talent was unknown to me before that moment. I was very touched, as I knew it must have taken him much time and thought. Handmade gifts are the best!

Spencer opened the gifts I handed him to find an assortment of DeWalt power tools. Included was a drill, impact driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw, flashlight, and bit set. That, combined with the palm sander he gave me which I had asked for, makes us set for woodworking projects. A garage, yard or work area is the only thing we are missing.

My parents had gotten me a sewing machine, which I had been dying for. I spent a good portion of the next day reading through the manual and learning how to handle it. I have thus far sewn four square pillow forms, their envelope cases, and a round zebra neck-roll pillow. Throw pillows are so expensive, I purposefully neglected to buy any, because I knew I wanted to wait until I had a machine to create them. This way, too, I can change out the pillow covers whenever I want to change the look.

After we were through watching my family open their gifts and visiting, we got to Skype Spencer's family and visit. We are so grateful to have this technology available, which makes living apart more bearable.

I mixed up dinner's ingredients and set the crock-pots. Seriously, finding recipes that work for the crock pot is a huge time-saver. Dinner was taken care of before noon, and I didn't have to worry about it the rest of the day. We feasted on a tri-tip roast with potatoes, carrots and onions; and in the small pot I whipped up a green bean casserole.

With dinner cooking itself, we headed over to the park to play some holiday tennis. We had the courts to ourselves and even found some extra balls. We started off with five when we first started playing, and we are up to around twenty, because people leave them behind.

My family Skyped us again from my grandparent's house where my extended family had gathered. We got to say hello to everyone and participate in some family traditions, including singing The 12 Days of Christmas; and I got to play my violin for the family talent show. Again, Skype is a blessing.

Spencer and I played Rummikub, and finished off the night with our tradition of Geocaching (started last Christmas, when Spencer got me a GPS). It was freezing, and we ended up only finding two out of the five we visited, but it was still fun. The cold and dark beat us this time though, I think. 1 vs 1.

The stocking candy and delicious dinner filled us so much, we had to wait until the next day to enjoy the chocolate cheesecake Spencer had baked. It was delicious and rich.

We had a very special first Christmas together, and are so excited to spend each one in the future side by side.

Christmas was not a white one in Roswell, but New Years was! Spencer has an awesome boss, who is concerned about the safety of his employees. He sent them home the days it would snow, so they were able to get home before the roads became impossible to drive on. There have been many wrecks here as of late.

New Years Eve my family video-called us and we got to play games with them via Skype, while waiting for the new year to arrive.

New Years Day we decorated our chocolate "ginger-bread" houses (the chocolate my mom had actually molded and mailed us!). We had run out of time to put them together Christmas Day, and it gave us something to do on New Years, while we were stuck indoors.

2014 was the best year of our lives, thus far. We got engaged, married, honeymooned in the Bahamas, moved to New Mexico, started new jobs, traveled around the US, and grew as individuals and together. With all the action, it was over before we knew it. We look forward to what 2015 will bring.