So, as you may have assumed, we survived the trip up north. Even better, the relationship with the boy survived exposure to teen Amanda geekdom and nosy family questions. 🙂 It was a good time. I got to see my sisters and mom, and a big chunk of the extended family. I got to see my newest 9-month old cousin and play with my other 3-year old cousin, who is ADORABLE and probably the happiest kid I’ve ever met. I really should have taken pictures; I was bad about that this trip. I’m hoping my aunt posts a bunch from the big get-together so I can mooch. Also, my furkid Sienna was reunited with her bio-dad dog Levi for the first time since I brought her home to Texas. It was a pretty dog-heavy week: at my mom’s house, we had my Sienna, my sister’s Levi, and my mom’s dog. Then up in Michigan, we had my aunt’s dog keeping Sienna and my mom’s dog company at her house, and then my two uncles’ dogs keeping Levi company at my uncle’s house. Needless to say, the furkid slept like the dead on the trip home and for two whole days after. She was kaput. I did manage to snag a picture of her and her daddy dog napping together, though.
Sienna is the red one, Levi the blonde. 🙂 How cute!
Aside from getting to see everyone and having dog overload, and a surprising lack of snow, there were of course the Christmas gifts. And the one that wins for most epic gift I think I’ve ever gotten was from my boyfriend, Ian. He MADE me a book safe. Out of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Glued the pages together, cut out the opening, laid in some felt. He even gave the outside page edges a gilt covering. And once I was done exclaiming over that awesomeness, I looked at the cut-up book and said “Now I kind of want to read it.” To which the best boyfriend in the world responded: “That’s why I got you another copy to read.” He knows me so well. 🙂 Check out his handiwork:
The pretty cover
The gilt edging he put on the pages
The fancy inside
My book safe, and the readable copy. 🙂
We also got a bunch of kitchen stuff, which is pretty cool (see below). But the book safe takes the gold medal.
Stylish storage canisters with attached scoops.
A set of ramekins (yes! now I can bake mini things!) and a set of stemless wine glasses.
A neat dividable serving dish thing.
My mom also gifted us with a basket to hold all of Sienna’s dog toys when she saw how much Sienna seemed to like that whole concept at her house.
Yes, that's a stuffed dragon toy on the top.
I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, too! Did you score any particularly epic gifts?
Tonight me and the boy are trying out our new wok (another Xmas gift), and then tomorrow for New Year’s Eve we’re going to a friend’s house for a game/movie night, complete with wine and champagne. Happy Holidays, everyone!
