This day after Christmas was especially a major downer. This is my first Christmas of my memory that I haven't spend at Snowbird, UT with my family. Cary had to work and is flying early into the morning, so I've been all by my onesie today. I decided to take myself on a pity date and go see Les Miserables by myself. I was actually pretty excited about my date with myself. I don't have to share my soda and I can cry if I want to and no one will make fun of me. So I drove myself all the way over to the theater, parked in the insanely crowded parking lot, walked into the ridiculously packed theater... and Les Mis was sold out until late tonight. Blargh. Solo movies only sound fun during the day time, so I pouted my way back home. Oh, worst part of the story, how could I forget this? I dinged Cary's car trying to back out of the garage. It was in their in kind of a weird angle, and I'm not used to driving his car, and I clipped the front bumper. Darn it. Now I REALLY wish I was at Snowbird.
Aside from all of my woes, our holidays were actually lovely, albeit a bit lonely. Just ask my iPhone.
Decorating the tree! This is my most favorite ornament. It's a baby Diet Coke! Wearing earmuffs! For the love!
My second favorite ornament. When I was little, pickles were my favorite food. My family has a pickle ornament to hang on the tree, which it turns out is actually a German tradition to hide the pickle ornament on the tree. Regardless of tradition, I love the ornament, so I don't ever hide it. And when I got all grown up with my own Christmas tree, my sister got me by very own pickle ornament! And that's when I knew I'd made it.
I motion that we all leave Christmas trees up all year long. The glow of the tree every night just makes me so darn happy.
I made stockings! It was pretty exciting. I still need to figure out how to put names on them, but that greatly exceeded my crafting abilities.
Brent got married! It was such a delight. Cary was a groomsmen, and his tuxedo was more than just a little bit amusing to me. The Los Angeles Temple was so beautiful, and the weather was gorgeous while we were there. But I learned that I could never live in Los Angeles, because the traffic would give me high blood pressure and extreme rage disorder.
Everyone loves a super squinty picture.
My baby!!! Or rather, Katie's baby. But I love her a whole lot.
She kills me. She's has our whole goofy family wrapped around her usually slobbery finger.
They're married! Goodness, they are just the cutest couple. They are SO in love, and it is really nauseating adorable. Seriously, they make my heart happy. Their sealing was beautiful.
Caaaaaaan you feel the looooooove tonight? Those love birds.
Angela looked so beautiful! I'm so happy she's in my family now! I love those two so much.
The reception was so gorgeous! And the food was delicious. The first wedding cake I've had that was actually very tasty! And I ate about 13 million shrimps.
Cute pregs sister.
Since Cary was a groomsmen, we sat at the head table, all important like. Also, Cary had to walk in with the bridal party and the bridesmaid he was partnered with was like 6 foot tall. It was quite humorous. And my parents missed their entrance, and the announcer had to call them twice. Also humorous. Us Reichman folk aren't used to such fancy affairs.
The options with these pictures are: Dark and Cary looking normal, or bright and Cary looking like he has no neck. Meh.
Ellie dancing with grandpa. Cue heart melting.
The next day we went to Santa Monica Pier and poked around. It was groovy. And I ate the best breakfast burrito of my life. And we drove the Pacific Coast Highway, which was beautiful. And then we spent a reeeeeeaaaalllly long time at the airport, as our flights kept getting delayed. We went to the USO at one airport, and it was the bomb dot com. We ate and lounged and played Connect 4. It was radical. But then we almost missed our flight and had to literally sprint across the entire airport which was like 10 miles and that was slightly less radical.
Also, I met soooo many weirdos during our many flights. My most recent seat mate was a rather large fellow who has 3 cats and loves comic books, and told me about these things extensively. Another notable passenger sang Inn A Gadda Da Vida and other great jams very loudly throughout the flight, and then at the end yelled to no one in particular, "I don't drink a lot of milk. But I DO drink a looooot of beer!" Really? I never would have guessed. Yet ANOTHER crazy appeared in the form of a lady who talked very loudly and enthusiastically to Cary and I in the airport, and then proceeded to introduce us to random people in the airport as her "close friends". When she left, she gave Cary a very enthusiastic and very one-sided hug. Just smelling her breath made me feel tipsy. I seem to be a magnet for bizarre flight companions, such as this memorable dude.
It's Christmas time! Ugh, I miss Christmas already. Cary got jammies and dinero to Home Depot from his parents! Thanks, guys!
I got super awesome socks, gift cards to Pottery Barn and a little cook book about making single-serving cakes in the microwave! That could be trouble... Thanks Mom and Dad Reeves!
Cary wouldn't stop taking pictures, but this got him to stop. So many chins...
Wooooo Ticket to Ride! We love this game. Even though I have never won in the many, many times we've played it with our friends, I do still mostly enjoy it. And now I enjoy it even more, because this is the US version instead of the Europe version, so I actually know where the cities are!
Cary got me an awesome new scarf, and Abby couldn't wait to try it out.
Our new Christmas Eve tradition: Peppermint ice cream and watching Christmas movies! Doing all of my family's traditions makes me all homesick, so we decided to try to think up some new ones for us.
Blockus! This game is especially great, because you can play it with two people! And also because I spanked Cary's behind when we played it.
My awesome Mama sent me a stocking! She's so cute. And I got monies and earrings and candy galore! Today I've eaten candy, popcorn, and yogurt. Perhaps I should change that.
Sleepy Cary with his stocking. He's so precious.
Cary got me this great t-shirt! Read the caption- it makes me giggle.
Look at all the candy!!! I am a five year old. I love candy so much.
New ski coat! Yahoo! And yes those are TWO layers of coat you see! Cary got a new ski coat last year, and he will not stop talking about his dang Columbia Interchange Omniheat Jacket. It's like his girlfriend. He loves his jacket more than any person has ever loved an inanimate object before. So naturally, I got one too this year. And I do love it! And I get to try it out next Monday on our ski trip! Cary and I are going skiing Monday and Tuesday next week and I CAN'T WAIT! I AM SO EXCITED I HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS! Sorry for yelling at you.
Look at all of my loot! I'm a spoiled brat.
My dad always buys all of the girls some sort of matching clothing and all of the boys something matchy. This year the girls got fleeces and the guys got hilariously tacky golf shorts. Cary was being a weenie and wouldn't model them to take a picture for my parents, so I did the honors. I think they look great on me. Especially over my jeans.
And then I made an apple pie! It was so tasty. And it's supposed to look like that. It was scrumptious. But looking at it right now is making me feel pretty gross, considering the amount of candy I consumed today.
Look at that little nugget. My sister sent me this picture, and I about fell over dead. Just the cutest.
And that's a wrap, folks! I was a major baby about missing Snowbird this year, but my sweet husband took care of me and we managed to have a cozy Christmas, just the two of us. And he even humored me and sang Christmas carols at the piano for a very long time on Christmas eve. It made me cry. I obviously love the lights and presents and food of Christmas, but it would be nothing without celebrating the gift of our Savior. And we got to spend our Christmas remembering that precious gift, so our Christmas was a success.
My heart still aches for condo 721 and Big Emma and the big hot tub and creamies (all Snowbird staples) and I hope so bad that we make it out there next year! I love all you crazy Reichman! And now I'm off to consider all of the things that I like about being a grown up, so I won't be tempted to drive back home to my Mommy forever... Just kidding. Kind of.
I got married the day after Christmas just for that reason — to make it a less depressing day.
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