I love Christmas. Or rather, I love the build up to Christmas. I love the decorations, the cookies plates, the Christmas carols, the crowded shopping experiences, the stressing over what to give to people, wrapping presents in beautiful paper, receiving Christmas cards, being together with my crazy family, and no matter how old I am, I still love the happy, nervous, anticipation of waking up too-early on Christmas morning to open gifts. I'm always the last to wake up, always trying to tell the others to go back to bed, and yet even as an adult I still get that silly grin of happy anticipation when I know we get to unwarp all those beautiful boxes under the tree.
Last year I had my first Christmas away from my family. It actually was a lot easier than I thought because it's hot here, and it's not hot at Christmas time, so I kind of think that Christmas was just skipped entirely, not that I had to celebrate it without my family. Having Christmas less often makes me love it more.
This year we get to travel to Arizona, and celebrate our first child's first Christmas with the Smart clan. As well as his first time in the US! Anticipation has been on over-drive for me. I am anxiously awaiting Mexican food as soon as we get off the plane, and then walking into my mother's fabulously festive house and going into each room to inspect my favorite Christmas decorations.
For those of you who are not yet familiar with my travel plans, we arrive in Phoenix on the 20th of December. We plan to be in Utah from Dec. 29th until about the 3rd of January, when we will return to Arizona stopping in Las Vegas on the way home. We are going to be in southern California Jan. 10 - 13, more or less. We will be in Arizona the rest of the time until Jan. 31st. If you will be crossing our path - LET ME KNOW!
Never has a trip home been so heartily anticipated. We can't wait to see you all!
8 comments:
Yippee! I cannot wait to see that baby. And you. And Mario. Mostly the baby though.
yay! Sorry but I'm all about the baby too. And you. And I need that baby. I'm dying he's 6 months and I haven't seen him yet! Thanks for traveling all the way from AR just for my birthday. It's nice you can swing by your parents for a bit on your way to my birthday celebration.
okay... I'll be in LA from Jan 11 - 19th... a Disneyland trip... I would love to see you and baby swap.... what are you CA dates?
We'll be out of town from the 22nd until the 30th. But we'll be here after that. Get my number from Jessica and please come over...I would love to meet the baby and I am sure Mario will be dying for some tortilla de papas or milanesas by then.
I only wish I was in town to visit with you!!!!! NO way would I be able to get in a visit though b/c you will be overloaded with people dandote besos y abrazandote...
I am so excited for you to run to the border and get some mexican food~
Please blog along the way with all of your first impressions from being gone for so long:)
I am so excited to see you Adrianne! I really miss you, as I loved our meeting up in random metropolitan cities across the country on our expense accounts!! That was so much fun, NYC, Chicago, Scottsdale....
I am looking forwarad to having the whole mormon gang at my house in SoCal!!!! I have Martinellis!!
Smarty! I googled you and found you!! Congrats to you and Mario on baby Gabe!! I'm SO thrilled for you! We need to catch up so email me:) Merry Christmas!!
Love, Joy
Smarty-
Your old DC chicaroos are missing you. Joyful and I have been emailing and wondering how you are Marta are doing. We miss you!
It looks like you are really happy and you look wonderful. The baby is ADORABLE!!!!
I hope you have a wonderful trip back home and a very very merry Christmas.
Lots of love from Portland!
Mirjana and Ivan
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