Christmas Eve

"Walking with you in a winter snow,

Kissing underneath the mistletoe,

People smiling everywhere we go,

It's Christmas Eve and they can see we're in love...

Oh, you make the season bright

With the lights reflecting in your eyes

All my dreams are coming true tonight

It's Christmas Eve..."

~Celine Dion~

I can't believe Christmas has already come and passed us once again! Sometimes after a big event, it takes me awhile to really collect my thoughts, but I figured I'd just dive right into this one. 

Well, the night before Christmas Eve, I started feeling really sick, while watching the Christmas episode of Glee and wrapping presents, so I tried to lay down a bit and said a prayer that I wouldn't actually get sick. Within just a few minutes I started feeling SO much better; I know it was a total God thing, because every other time when it hits I get sick, and it's always around the holidays lately. I ended up just staying up to watch a few more Christmas episodes of Full House, Growing Pains and The Vampire Diaries. I also passed the time by taking pictures with this new camera app I got, because I was just having way too much fun. 

The next morning was obviously Christmas Eve, and I was not feeling well, so I woke up much earlier than I usually do. I had some breakfast, took medicine and climbed back in bed to watch Boy Meets World. It was another Christmas show, so I was excited. I took the morning pretty easy, just sort of hanging out, watching TV and taking pictures of our Christmas decorations since it was one of the big days and they won't be up for much longer. 

Awhile later, my mom and I decided to bake our goodies for Christmas dinner the next day! It has been our tradition the past six or seven years to make Faith Hill's Coca-Cola cake, so I always look forward to that. I was really starting to get loopy after not getting much sleep, so I was walking around the house saying some pretty hilarious things, I must say. We turned on a couple Christmas movies while we worked and laughed A LOT. I think that was probably one of the smoothest times we've ever been in the kitchen together before. It was really nice. We even made a different flavor of the traditional jello that my grandma used to make for Thanksgiving every year. I had a lot of fun and realized I'd like to get into the whole baking thing. I say that all the time, but maybe in 2013 I'll actually get around to experimenting more. Oh, and there were extra marshmallows, so I decided to try the whole "chubby bunny" thing and felt really sick after that, but it was totally worth it. My mom tried it too and blamed me for it when she felt sick. I did not even tell her to, she voluntarily did it...sooo....

We finished baking and straightening things up around 4 or so, and I decided to watch The Office's Classy Christmas part one and two again. I even heard my mom chuckling a few times, so I think eventually she'll come around to liking it. We shall see! After those came to an end, it was time to start getting ready. I took a shower, got spiffied up, and pretty soon my dad was home from work. I was keeping myself entertained by watching all of the Friends episodes of Christmas. Not long after, it was time to meet my aunts and uncle for dinner, but we were all still running around getting last minute things together and I ended up opening a present right before we were walking out, since it's a tradition. It was a sweater from American Eagle which I had loved when I looked at it awhile back, and planned on wearing the next day! 

We jumped in the car and had to stop by CVS, then made our way to Mexicali. I'm pretty sure the type of food they serve can go unsaid here. My aunt was already there, and from the looks of the parking lot, it was PACKED. She said it was going to be about an hour and a half wait, so we hesitated on whether we were going to stay or try somewhere else. We ultimately decided to wait it out, but it was extremely long. We ran into some family friends and talked to them for a few minutes, then just passed the rest of the time by talking to one another.

We sat down to eat close to 7, and I couldn't have been more excited unless John Krasinski or Steve Carell themselves had showed up to the restaurant. I need to have food in my system probably a lot more than the average person, because I start getting low blood sugar and I'm just not pleasant to be around (even more than usual). When I don't have food and I need, I almost start getting the shakes and it was starting to get to that point. But, as soon as the chips came, we pretty much devoured them every time. The food was amazing as always, and the conversation and company was even better. We talked about the X Factor for a bit and one of my aunt's mentioned that she had watched an episode of The Office earlier and that it is the stupidest show. My other aunt and uncle agreed with her, and that it's probably a show the under 30 crowd gets. Possibly...Or they just don't get the humor, not everyone does, because it is a little different. Oh well, I think it's fantastic! 

By the time we finished eating, we had to hurry home, because (long story short), my uncle was only going to have a little time to visit. He came over for a few minutes and we caught up with him, then he had to leave to pick my aunt up from work once my cousin and her boyfriend got here. They stayed for a couple hours; we opened some presents and watched this special on the White House Christmas traditions, which was really interesting actually. We talked some, laughed some, and took pictures. 

Brooke and Max had to visit his family for a big dinner at his parents' house, so they left, and my parents, aunt and I had planned on going to a candlelight service at my grandparents' church, but when it came down to it, we were all kind of falling asleep and it's quite a drive up there, so we decided not to. I wish it would've worked out, because I've enjoyed going to church the past couple years on Christmas Eve, but there's always next year. 

We opened presents, and I ended up getting a lot of really cool vintage items from my aunt! It makes me feel like a hipster, and I just really love antiques anyway, so there's that. I love the stories that they tell and how much they've been through. We all played with our gifts a bit, then ended up watching The Nanny. I forget how much I love that show after I haven't watched for awhile, but it's just one of those classics that I always tend to go back too. They don't make sitcoms like they used to, which is something we definitely commented on. 

It was a really nice night altogether and those are the moments I cherish most. Christmas Eve has changed for our family a lot over the course of these past ten years. When I was really young, we used to always meet up with my aunt, uncle, cousins and grandparents at my aunt's house. We'd get Subway sandwich platters, open presents, find the pickle on the tree for a prize, have dessert, sit by the fire and talk, and it felt really relaxed and exciting. Maybe partially because we were kids who still believed in Santa Claus and didn't know anything else, but we were all together and that was what mattered. 

Then, when I was about ten or so, my grandparents passed away and my aunt moved into their old house, so we had it there a couple years. It was weird not having them around; it didn't feel real, because they were always such a big part of Christmas. My grandma always decorated the house to the nines and it felt like a mini Santa's Village. I'm not sure why, but when we moved to a new house, we started doing it over here for several years. But, as time went on, everyone started getting busy or having other places to go, having kids, relationships, etc. so it was down to just my aunt coming over. That's when we started going to the Christmas Eve service and dinner afterwards, because that was something I had always wanted to do, and my other aunt and uncle started joining in with us. 

I've realized that nothing is set in stone, and honestly it's more exciting now when plans change. I'm still with the people I love; it's mainly the scenery that changes from year to year, whether it's a restaurant or who ends up coming over, but either way it's still a wonderful time. I've learned to accept whatever happens instead of dwelling on the things I wish I could change, because it'll only make you bitter in the end. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

Some Edited Pictures

Christmas TV Shows

No matter what the occasion, I always love to watch TV shows and movies according to whatever holiday or season it is, just to make things a bit more festive. It seems that I've slacked off a bit this year when it comes to Christmas, so I've been cramming a ton of stuff into the past couple days. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from over the years and now. 

Gilmore Girls:

In the 7 seasons that Gilmore Girls was on, they only had one true Christmas episode, well technically two, but they don't really mention it all that much in the first one! This one was the season that Amy Sherman Palladino (the creator and head writer) decided to leave, needless to say, it was a little out of character for the girls. Especially since Christopher was in the picture and trying to run the show with his daughter, even though the girls usually do things their way. However, my favorite part of the entire episode is the "monkey, monkey, underpants" bit that Lorelai does in the kitchen. It's a total classic moment for her, and I realize just how much we are alike. 

Full House:

I always loved the Full House holiday shows because they were always full of Christmas cheer, as well as a moral or lesson in the end. The Tanner family was always so warm and inviting with their witty banter with one another or crazy obstacles in the middle that they had to overcome, and they always remembered the true meaning of Christmas in the end. They just always seemed like the kind of family I would want to hang out with. For so long, I kept thinking someday maybe our families would combine, because I played out many a daydream with my family, but unfortunately that never happened. I always wanted an uncle Jesse.....

 Glee: 

This is the Christmas episode from season 2. I was starting to get a little annoyed with the characters, when out of the blue, this pretty little episode comes out and just blows me away. It felt like a nice break away from the normalness of the show, yet still stuck with a storyline. And the soundtrack to this show is FANTASTIC. They picked a few classics, and a few of the lesser appreciated songs and made them extra festive with plenty of jingle bells and beautiful harmonies. That CD never fails to put me in a perky mood. 

 The Office: 

Apparently, The Office is known for its Christmas episodes, because after the first season, it put the show on the map. After watching all of them, I have to say, they know how to throw a mean Christmas party. Also, that's the kind of gathering I would want to be part of. I'd especially want to hang out with Jim and Pam as they add their commentary to everything about Dwight's crazy doings and Michael trying to pull off some crazy scheme. The chemistry these guys have are just crazy and hilarious. 

 Lizzie McGuire:

I remember when Disney Channel had the best holiday shows. I would always get so excited on Christmas Eve, knowing that they'd be playing a marathon of all of my favorite episodes from Lizzie McGuire to Even Stevens and That's So Raven. But, Lizzie was always my number one. She was everything I wanted to be (part of that might have just been with Hilary Duff being Lizzie too). I feel like she really connected to girls growing up at the same time and reminded them of what life and Christmas are really about. It used to give me butterflies just thinking about all of the excitement. 

Friends: 

They always had some of THE best holiday episodes ever! They seemed to capture the gist of how the holidays go; the baking, the arguments, the annoying habits, etc. And let's face it... The one with the holiday armadillo is just the funniest thing ever! As well as The one with the routine. The images of Ross and Monica dancing at the Dick Clark New Years Rockin Eve party just don't leave. That's something to carry around with you when you're having a bad day. I promise you'll instantly laugh. 

Growing Pains: 

Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I just always loved the sibling relationships between Mike, Carol and Ben Seaver, especially around the holidays. The schemes were kicked up a notch, the sarcasm from Mike was heavier, and if it's possible, Jason was always even more knowledgable, which made him extra annoying, yet dad-like at the same time, and Maggie was  even more sentimental. I just loved this family.

Boy Meets World: 

One of the best TV shows EVER! This one was all about life lessons, so you can bet there were plenty to go around in the Christmas episodes. Cory and the gang just really know how to make people laugh and bring everyone together. They're a great group! 

There are a ton of others I could name off, but basically any classic 90s TV show is a winner. I think it really highlighted the best moments and the worst moments of families, and even reminded audiences of what Christmas was really all about. I grew up with all of these families in some strange way, so spending the holidays with them as I get older, still reminds me of simpler times when I was younger. 

That's all for now,

Shelby

Jonas Brothers Concert

Footage from the concert! 

I finally got around to putting together a short video of the Jonas Brothers concert together! What an amazing show that was! I can't wait to see them again live, hopefully soon.

That's all for now,

Shelby

Christmas Weekend

Well, I can't believe we're already at the weekend before Christmas. Actually, the weekend is over and we're welcoming in Christmas Eve. Where has the time gone? It feels like yesterday was just Thanksgiving and we were still getting all of the decorations, music, and movies out to put to use, and here we are already almost getting ready to put them away.

It seems like there used to be so much time as a kid to truly enjoy the season, and even a bit in high school. There were Christmas parties to plan and performances to attend, whether it was with the choir or a play at school, and the older you get, the less festivities there are to get wrapped up in. I used to look so forward to all of those things, but now that I'm in college, there aren't many things other the usual movie watching and listening to music to do, or there just isn't enough time. Its been especially hard to do a lot of things on the weekends that we might usually do, like going out to CALM's holiday lights or trying things out in LA, because my dad works, but it has still been a really wonderful season.

Saturday:
Saturday, my dad had to work, so my mom and I stayed home all day. I slept in a little bit, but still woke up way earlier than usual, which was strange for me, but nice. We didn't do anything all day; I watched Boy Meets World, made collages, and other random things, just taking it easy (as always). I tried to help my mom program our garage door opener to the button in our car, but that did not work out like we wanted it to once again. I have to say it was pretty entertaining for us just trying, though.  But, as you can see, I had a lot of time for surfing the web and finding pointless things.

Throwback when I wrote Patrick Dempsey a letter and he sent this back! :) He's awesome!

Later that night, I made a Christmas playlist to get me in the festive mood, while getting ready for dinner with my grandparents. My parents and I met up with them at Outback. We hadn't really eaten all day, so I was starving, and completely out of it. I was quiet most of the time, not really feeling like I had much to say about anything, but it was still a lot of fun. And the food was delicious! 

When we finished dinner, we said goodbye to my grandparents and came back to our house, then out again to Target. I ended up buying Something Borrowed and some festive Kardashian nail polish, so I was extremely excited. We stopped for ice cream at McDonald's after that, which meant our last peppermint treats of the season, more than likely, and headed out to a pretty well known area in town for Christmas lights. Not only are they gorgeous houses, but everyone tends to go all out for it. We listened to Christmas music and laughed a ton, whether it was crazy singing or quoting Elf. Plus, we saw Santa and one of his elves walking down the street, which is not something you see everyday, even during Christmas. 

We came home. I watched The Office, and went to bed a few hours later.

Sunday:

"This is my favorite day!"

Angela (The Office)

Yesterday was the special Christmas service at church. We sang a couple songs during worship like Joy To The World, and a few regular worship songs, which was nice. The service was incredible. Our pastor talked about how Christmas is all about hope. Jesus changed everything when He came to this earth, and that was the whole point. We can have strength, security and serenity, knowing that God has everything under control even when we have no clue what we're doing. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." 

John 14:27

(one of my favorite verses and themes for the year)

We visited with a good family friend after the service, and headed out to lunch after that. We ate at PF Changs, which is one of my favorites, and it did not disappoint this time. And for some reason, our waitress reminded me of Emma Stone! She was fun and had a perky attitude. When we finished, we headed home, rocking out to Nsync, which was AWESOME! But, when we got back to our house, my dad realized he'd forgotten his phone, so we turned back around. Luckily, that only took about 5 seconds, then we ran into Target. It seems that we've practically lived there this week for pretty much everything we've needed. Not that I'm complaining, seeing as I love Target, just merely making an observation. It wasn't as busy as I was thinking it would be, so we were able to get in and out. 

We came home, and I spent the rest of the afternoon in a pretty relaxed state. I wasn't feeling the greatest, so I made my room dark except for the Christmas lights around my window, while watching The Holiday. I turned my phone off and simply watched the movie. That's not something I do very often, but it was nice not feeling obligated to keep checking my phone, like some big offer was about to come my way and I couldn't miss it. I forgot just how much I love the movie. 

When I was done, I joined my parents in the living room where we watched a ton of festive recorded programs from our DVR, like Lady Antebellum's Christmas concert, CMA Country Christmas, and later on, Christmas with the Kranks. We ordered pizza and just relaxed! But even I had trouble staying awake during the Kranks. I was feeling incredibly wiped out, and it didn't help that the room was dimly lit with only our Christmas tree glowing really. 

Around 10:30 or so, we ran to the store to get some last minute things for Christmas dinner. We weren't there long at all, and I got an itunes card, so I'd say it was a pretty successful trip. It was a little too empty when we walked outside. It felt like one of those moments in movies when people get mugged, because there's absolutely no one else around to witness it. Kinda freaked me out, but we were in the car again soon enough.

I spent the rest of the night buying a few things on itunes, wrapping a couple presents, watching Christmas episodes of my favorite shows, and editing pictures. I was feeling extremely sick and knew I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so I might as well get something accomplished. I also finally watched the Christmas episode of The Vampire Diaries. I was pretty impressed, but I'm hating the Damon and Elena scenes right now. I know it'll serve a purpose later on in the season, but still...We've all just waited too long for this moment to come. Why does it have to start out like this???

Anyway, that's all for now,

Shelby :)