You all know from my post here that we were able to pull off a great surprise for my mom and brother and some family friends over Christmas this year. Joel and I felt so blessed that we were able to go on this whirl wind trip home to spend Christmas with family. Sometimes Joel and I feel like we are living in a movie, like do these things happen in real life?? As you have learned from over a year of posts on this blog that every day is an adventure for us and we are trying to soak up every moment.
While headed back to the states may not have been the craziest thing we have done this year, the way it happened makes it a worthy contender. Joel and I have nightly Skype chats with my dad (he gets up early!) so the night in question nothing was different. Until my dad mentioned something he said he had been thinking about for a while. He told us that for my mom's Christmas present he wanted to surprise her and bring us home. (Really dad, you couldn't have mentioned this a few days and not 7 hours before our flight left?) Well, as you know it was a success! We were able to pack, get about 3 hours of sleep and make it to the airport in time.
This was everyone in my family's first Christmas in Santa Fe and we loved the feeling you get there. Everywhere you go is decorated with luminaries (paper bags lit with candles), great big fireplaces filled with piñon and of course the food to us is the best we have ever had. My mom also did a great job decorating their new house for Christmas, it felt really warm and cozy. Every night there we lit a giant fire inside and out (even though it was freezing!) and enjoyed time drinking wine and catching up by the fire.
Christmas eve we went to an Episcopal Church in Santa Fe that my parents go to with their neighbor Frosty. It was a great service and some friends joined us. After church we walked Canyon Rd which is the famous art street in Santa Fe. On Christmas eve they close the road to cars and light bon-fires all along it so people gather to walk and socialize. There were bands playing and people singing Christmas carols and drinking hot cocoa. Unfortunately it was very cold so we didn't last too long until we decided to turn in for the night.
Christmas morning was spent opening presents, or rather watching my brother open presents (he really raked in this year!) and then brunch with a bunch of friends at the famous Elk Lodge. Another amazing surprise for Joel and I, and everyone with us for that matter, was that the singer who sang at our wedding ceremony and cocktail reception happened to be playing at the brunch. Like I said, do these things happen in really life? As soon as he saw us sit down he waved and then played the song that I walked down the aisle to. It was really touching and Joel and I had the chance later to catch up with him a bit.
One day after Christmas, Joel and I were just sitting on the couch lounging and my brother was in the office playing on the computer when my mom decided that we should have some champagne. Well, that seemed easy enough so my dad went in the kitchen with her so he could open a bottle for her. Next thing we know, there is an exploding sound and screaming! Joel and I ran in the kitchen to see both my parents soaking wet head to toe in Champagne. There was champagne covering the cabinets and ceiling also. When my dad had opened the bottle, it must have been very shaken up because it was like a fountain. There was only about an inch left in the bottle and the rest was covering everything! It was hilarious. Of course I ran to get the camera, so check out the pics. They are really funny.
A few days after Christmas my brother's girlfriend Lizzy was able to join us for a few days and we had a blast with her there. Mostly we shopped and ate because that is what you do in Santa Fe. We also took a few drives to see the beautiful scenery and soak in the clean air before going back to our polluted city.
Lizzy and Colin had to get back to Los Angeles, driving because Colin brought his new puppy Brix with him, but Joel and I were able to stay for New Years Eve with my parents. It was not a crazy night, Joel and I had a 5:45 flight out of Albuquerque the next day, but we were able to have a really nice dinner with my parents.
Our 10 days in Santa Fe went so quickly that we were never even able to get over our jet lag, but we had so much fun and were so happy to be able to see everyone for Christmas that it was more than worth it. Maybe next year if we go home we will plan a little more in advance. ; )
While headed back to the states may not have been the craziest thing we have done this year, the way it happened makes it a worthy contender. Joel and I have nightly Skype chats with my dad (he gets up early!) so the night in question nothing was different. Until my dad mentioned something he said he had been thinking about for a while. He told us that for my mom's Christmas present he wanted to surprise her and bring us home. (Really dad, you couldn't have mentioned this a few days and not 7 hours before our flight left?) Well, as you know it was a success! We were able to pack, get about 3 hours of sleep and make it to the airport in time.
This was everyone in my family's first Christmas in Santa Fe and we loved the feeling you get there. Everywhere you go is decorated with luminaries (paper bags lit with candles), great big fireplaces filled with piñon and of course the food to us is the best we have ever had. My mom also did a great job decorating their new house for Christmas, it felt really warm and cozy. Every night there we lit a giant fire inside and out (even though it was freezing!) and enjoyed time drinking wine and catching up by the fire.
Christmas eve we went to an Episcopal Church in Santa Fe that my parents go to with their neighbor Frosty. It was a great service and some friends joined us. After church we walked Canyon Rd which is the famous art street in Santa Fe. On Christmas eve they close the road to cars and light bon-fires all along it so people gather to walk and socialize. There were bands playing and people singing Christmas carols and drinking hot cocoa. Unfortunately it was very cold so we didn't last too long until we decided to turn in for the night.
Christmas morning was spent opening presents, or rather watching my brother open presents (he really raked in this year!) and then brunch with a bunch of friends at the famous Elk Lodge. Another amazing surprise for Joel and I, and everyone with us for that matter, was that the singer who sang at our wedding ceremony and cocktail reception happened to be playing at the brunch. Like I said, do these things happen in really life? As soon as he saw us sit down he waved and then played the song that I walked down the aisle to. It was really touching and Joel and I had the chance later to catch up with him a bit.
One day after Christmas, Joel and I were just sitting on the couch lounging and my brother was in the office playing on the computer when my mom decided that we should have some champagne. Well, that seemed easy enough so my dad went in the kitchen with her so he could open a bottle for her. Next thing we know, there is an exploding sound and screaming! Joel and I ran in the kitchen to see both my parents soaking wet head to toe in Champagne. There was champagne covering the cabinets and ceiling also. When my dad had opened the bottle, it must have been very shaken up because it was like a fountain. There was only about an inch left in the bottle and the rest was covering everything! It was hilarious. Of course I ran to get the camera, so check out the pics. They are really funny.
A few days after Christmas my brother's girlfriend Lizzy was able to join us for a few days and we had a blast with her there. Mostly we shopped and ate because that is what you do in Santa Fe. We also took a few drives to see the beautiful scenery and soak in the clean air before going back to our polluted city.
Lizzy and Colin had to get back to Los Angeles, driving because Colin brought his new puppy Brix with him, but Joel and I were able to stay for New Years Eve with my parents. It was not a crazy night, Joel and I had a 5:45 flight out of Albuquerque the next day, but we were able to have a really nice dinner with my parents.
Our 10 days in Santa Fe went so quickly that we were never even able to get over our jet lag, but we had so much fun and were so happy to be able to see everyone for Christmas that it was more than worth it. Maybe next year if we go home we will plan a little more in advance. ; )
FYI - the famous "Bishop's Lodge" for Christmas Day brunch ;D
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of Penelope with her eyes closed. So cute :)
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