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.
Your Christmas sounded perfect (well, besides missing church ;) The food sounds amazing and I think we'll be over next year too!
ReplyDeleteRyan and I have spent the last few years together and haven't worried about huge parties and stuff like that. Usually we go out to some fancy sushi place and that's all the going out we need. Sometimes it makes more sense to reflect on the past year with the person (people) closest to you and dream about the good things to come in the new year! Happy New Year to you and Mike! Loved your Christmas card too! ;)