holiday wrap up -- our twisty turny weekend

So where to begin?! What a busy, crazy 4 days.
[WARNING: Super picture heavy post ahead!!]

Thursday we had off, and Trav headed to Willy's to help clean up for his Christmas Eve party. Gwen and I hung out, but I had some stuff to do and girl wouldn't give in to the nap... so I threw her on my back, and did some cooking. Well by they end, this was going on behind me:

I think she's a fan of the new wrap as well!
And a shot of the front, just so you can see the wrapping: 

I'm in love.  ;-)

The next day was Christmas Eve. I was excited for Gwen's first Christmas, but frankly, still couldn't believe that it was actually going to be here. Where did the second half of this year go?!
We headed to Willy's after lunch. Willy's isn't exactly baby-proofed, and there was tons of time to kill before people came over (but Trav was helping to cook, so we had to be there early), so I pulled the Mei Tai out of the car and up Gwen went: 

You can see my holiday babbles in this one:

And one more, where Gwen is just too cute to pass up:

People filtered in as the night went on, until Trav's Aunt and her husband arrived, his two cousins and their families (including six kids between the two, plus one spouse). It was great to see everyone. We left around 6:45 to come home and get Gwen straight to bed. After she was down, I come downstairs and finished setting everything up for Christmas morning. I pulled out her two big gifts, which we weren't wrapping, and set them up by the tree.

We definitely made a winning decision with that chair!!

Clearly, she LOVED it!

She also enjoyed sitting in a box...

and NOMing a stuffed rabbit.

But not as much as she enjoyed that chair!

The chair now has its own place in the living room, so she can sit in it whenever she wants.

Trav got some new underwear and undershirts (that is actually what he asked for! silly boy), a BAZINGA! t-shirt (anyone watch Big Bang Theory?), a stud finder, a memory card for his photo frame, and some other odds and ends. I got some books, a baby's first year picture frame, some awesome earrings made from recycled soda tabs, and some other odds and ends.

Daisy, got a giant bone that she was pretty excited for!

After having a quick bacon breakfast (well, Gwen had oatmeal and apple) we headed up to my parents, where we exchanged more presents. Gwenie got a cheerios container she was excited about...

And a beautiful, handcrafted rocking horse:

Trav and I got a home depot gift card, and a really nice new knife set. We also got a beautiful picture of Scotland from my brother. He also got Gwen the cutest pair of furry winter boots!

We sat down to dinner early... (turkey, mmm....)

Gwen had a special Merry Grinchmas bib for the occasion.

Then it was home again to relax for a few minutes before bed.

(Our now empty stockings)

This morning, Sunday, I planned to sleep in... but Trav came up after only forty minutes or so to tell me he'd just checked our messages and that we'd gotten the sad news that the President of my organization had passed on Christmas night. He had been sick for a bit, seemed to be getting better, but then they found cancer. We had all just been told this past week. It seemed so sudden. But the service was at 10am, so he got me up quickly so that we could all get ready to go.

The service was lovely, held with parts in both English and Hebrew. It was hard not to get choked up when they talked about how much Dr. S loved his wife... how even to the end he had the nurses help clean him up before she got there first thing in the morning. He didn't have to impress her, not after decades together, but he wanted to. He was a smart, funny, larger then life personality, and he was a sweet man who love his wife, kids, and grandkids wholeheartedly. He will be missed.
Gwen and Trav spent most of the time hanging out in the lobby, but it was really great to have them there.
(Also nice, though obviously the circumstances were not, was seeing Jan there... she looks really good.)

Our office is closed tomorrow (Monday) out of respect to Dr. S. Some of my coworkers and I will be paying his wife, who also works in the same office, a visit on Tuesday afternoon while she sits Shiva.

I was saying to Trav on the ride home that while I was a little bummed we didn't have a white Christmas, that it certainly was a mitvah by G-d that the snow held out so that we could all safely make it to his service, and that his wife and kids would have a safe ride to his internment up in Scranton, where he is from.

After that it was back home and a lazy day of relaxing.

But that snow that held out, is now coming down quite heavily. We already have a few inches and we're supposed to at least double that. I'm hoping that Trav can stay home with Gwen and I tomorrow.

At one point Trav headed outside to do a little shoveling, just to make it easier for himself tomorrow morning, in case he does have to go in. Gwen and I took the opportunity to bundle up and check out this crazy white stuff. 

It was too cold and windy to stay out for long, but she though snow was pretty funny.

Maybe if it isn't so windy and bitter tomorrow, we can try playing in it a bit... but for now we are snuggly and warm inside. Gwenie is asleep for the night, so I'm going to head downstairs and snuggle with Trav in the soft glow of our tree. It was a crazy weekend, an emotional up and down, but our Christmas was blessed and I feel very lucky for that. I hope your holidays were blessed as well.