Greetings friends!
The Batch's Christmas holiday was everything I had hoped it would be & more. This year, more so than in year's past, the loving husband & I made it a priority to focus on what really matters to us. Per usual, Christmas Eve was spent with everyone we love. Our first stop was my "aunt & uncle's" home (translation, besties of my mother's) to sip egg nog with my pseudo cousins & visit with my deeder & mother before heading to my in-laws. We then spent time with the hubbs entire extended family before heading out to meet the father & step mother at Sabatino's for our traditional annual Christmas Eve dinner. Each year, for as long as I can remember, the Seibel clan would then reconvene at church at 11pm for the Christmas Eve service. My mother is a member of the Altar Guild & we love this service more than any other service throughout the year. This year, however, we ran late & couln't make it in time. If I could identify anything about this year's holiday that wasn't absolutely perfect, missing church would be it.
Christmas Day turned out better than I had hoped. We have hosted Christmas dinner at our home since our marriage & I am honored that our family, both immediate & extended, anticipate the menu all year long! This year's feature was Beef Wellington (dry aged), cooked to perfection. My homemade mulled, spiced wine was made once again, by popular demand, and 12 of the best family a couple could ever hope for spent the whole evening laughing & loving. I do a formal sit down dinner, complete with my great, great aunt's wedding china from Germany and all our beautiful Waterford barware. It was another beautiful Christmas.
This new year's eve, however, we will (for the first time) spend it alone; just the two of us. 2011 was very challenging, eye-opening & an overall tough year for us. It is important to us that we honor our commitment, respect, love for one another, and strength in a way that is private & meaningful to us. My college bestie posted a beautifully written & insightful blog entry & I can't help but repeat a very beautiful message she shared:
"For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning."
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"
Our voices are stronger than we realize, Mo. oxo
Happy New Year Friends. Love & Light To You All.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Winding Down the Week
Thank GAWD it's Thursday ya'll!!! What's even better is that tomorrow is my last day of work and then I'm on vacation for 10 glorious days!
Quickest of re-caps: Last weekend was a blur. Mike's party was great, and we looked fab, per usue. Saturday was spent doing some errands & then later that night, another holiday party. I legit feel like I haven't stopped since last Friday & things def are starting to catch up with me. Working something like 50 hours a week, running a home & having a life are not for the faint of heart. I have always been an overachiever & typically I can manage without a hitch, but throw in the holidays & even I can get overwhelmed.
Oh, & lest I forget yesterday & today's two hour meetings, led by yours truly. It was spent speaking to our Directors on our benefit & disability programs; I worked on the material for two weeks & ready or not, D day approached. I was nervous, anxious & excited all at once. On Friday at Mike's party, when asking me about work & what I do, his bosses wife (who also happens to be the mother of my oldest, dearest friend)said she still sees me as a little girl from Our Savior. Honestly, at times, I do too and have to check myself every now and again and remind myself that I am NOT, in fact, a child who needs to take direction from others. Who would've thought I'd end up here. (Well, let's get real...I always knew I would be amazing, but I'm glad to see that now everyone else is on board).
Now, I'm off to finish my shopping....working on Michigan Avenue is super convenient and I've finished nearly all of my gift buying, less a couple people. Tomorrow is my last day in the office before Christmas, and a early day, to boot since it's our company party. Vacation, here I come!
Quickest of re-caps: Last weekend was a blur. Mike's party was great, and we looked fab, per usue. Saturday was spent doing some errands & then later that night, another holiday party. I legit feel like I haven't stopped since last Friday & things def are starting to catch up with me. Working something like 50 hours a week, running a home & having a life are not for the faint of heart. I have always been an overachiever & typically I can manage without a hitch, but throw in the holidays & even I can get overwhelmed.
Oh, & lest I forget yesterday & today's two hour meetings, led by yours truly. It was spent speaking to our Directors on our benefit & disability programs; I worked on the material for two weeks & ready or not, D day approached. I was nervous, anxious & excited all at once. On Friday at Mike's party, when asking me about work & what I do, his bosses wife (who also happens to be the mother of my oldest, dearest friend)said she still sees me as a little girl from Our Savior. Honestly, at times, I do too and have to check myself every now and again and remind myself that I am NOT, in fact, a child who needs to take direction from others. Who would've thought I'd end up here. (Well, let's get real...I always knew I would be amazing, but I'm glad to see that now everyone else is on board).
Now, I'm off to finish my shopping....working on Michigan Avenue is super convenient and I've finished nearly all of my gift buying, less a couple people. Tomorrow is my last day in the office before Christmas, and a early day, to boot since it's our company party. Vacation, here I come!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The In-Between
Hello out there! Ugh, for realz I would be shocked to discover any remaining followers after my months-long hiatus. Trying to fill you in on what's been going on since my last entry would not only be impossible, but also super uninteresting (zzzzz). So, in the interest of keeping my 3 probably only remaining readers (my sister & 2 besties), I'll save the boring yip yap & attempt a witty & cheeky recap.
Halloween party was great...pix went up on FB for all of you on the interGoogle. Since Halloween, things have been ultra busy in the Batch household, as I'm sure they've been in yours. T-day was great & so was the long weekend that accompanied it. Per usue, I went to shop it up on Black Friday & came home with lots of great gifts for others, and an even greater gift to myself: new couches! They were delivered last Saturday & look fantastic. Of course, with new couches, I couldn't possibly continue life with our current tables, so last Saturday was spent at Pier 1 picking out new ones. Now my living room looks all fresh & new just in time for the holidays! ;)
And, speaking of the holidays, can I just say...I.Can't.Wait. This Friday is the loving husband's annual company Christmas party. It will be at Gibson's on Rush again this year & we'll stay the night to party it up and then shop the Saturday after. I walked over to the Macy's at Water Tower on lunch one day last week & snagged a beaut of a dress for the occasion, though I'm not 100% about it so I may run again one night this week. Then, on Saturday night, we have my "aunt & uncle's" annual Christmas party. Next weekend is my company party at the Mid America Club, and then Saturday I am really hoping we can go to the Christkindlmarkt at Daley plaza. Even though I can totes walk there at lunch, I want me a hot tottie, and that would not be conducive to work-time productivity ;)
Speaking of ChristKindl, I hope you all had a fruitful St. Nikolaus morning and received lots of goodies. I certainly did and, because I was such a good girl, missed the the Rute from mean ol' Ruprecht. Grrrr <:{
Besides the usual Christmas festivities, life is just as crazy as always. Work has been CRAZY! While I can definitely say I love, love, love my job 98% of the time, the remaining 2% is questionable. When things get ultra stressful and difficult, I find it's super hard....it's like all or nothing. Having said that, though, I am still (deep down) grateful for having gotten through these challenges because not only will it help me to grow professionally, it also helps me to grow as a person. And who wouldn't love that :)
I hope to be a better blogger in the coming weeks. I will try my best to get on here and update more, and as work begins to slow down a bit, I know I will be more willing to get on the computertyper in the evenings to do just that. Have a great week all xoxo.
Halloween party was great...pix went up on FB for all of you on the interGoogle. Since Halloween, things have been ultra busy in the Batch household, as I'm sure they've been in yours. T-day was great & so was the long weekend that accompanied it. Per usue, I went to shop it up on Black Friday & came home with lots of great gifts for others, and an even greater gift to myself: new couches! They were delivered last Saturday & look fantastic. Of course, with new couches, I couldn't possibly continue life with our current tables, so last Saturday was spent at Pier 1 picking out new ones. Now my living room looks all fresh & new just in time for the holidays! ;)
And, speaking of the holidays, can I just say...I.Can't.Wait. This Friday is the loving husband's annual company Christmas party. It will be at Gibson's on Rush again this year & we'll stay the night to party it up and then shop the Saturday after. I walked over to the Macy's at Water Tower on lunch one day last week & snagged a beaut of a dress for the occasion, though I'm not 100% about it so I may run again one night this week. Then, on Saturday night, we have my "aunt & uncle's" annual Christmas party. Next weekend is my company party at the Mid America Club, and then Saturday I am really hoping we can go to the Christkindlmarkt at Daley plaza. Even though I can totes walk there at lunch, I want me a hot tottie, and that would not be conducive to work-time productivity ;)
Speaking of ChristKindl, I hope you all had a fruitful St. Nikolaus morning and received lots of goodies. I certainly did and, because I was such a good girl, missed the the Rute from mean ol' Ruprecht. Grrrr <:{
Besides the usual Christmas festivities, life is just as crazy as always. Work has been CRAZY! While I can definitely say I love, love, love my job 98% of the time, the remaining 2% is questionable. When things get ultra stressful and difficult, I find it's super hard....it's like all or nothing. Having said that, though, I am still (deep down) grateful for having gotten through these challenges because not only will it help me to grow professionally, it also helps me to grow as a person. And who wouldn't love that :)
I hope to be a better blogger in the coming weeks. I will try my best to get on here and update more, and as work begins to slow down a bit, I know I will be more willing to get on the computertyper in the evenings to do just that. Have a great week all xoxo.
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