Farewell 2010. Hello 2011!

On the last day of 2010, I am thinking back over the events of the year.  It was one of the most exciting years I can remember.  When 2010 began, we had a toddler who was still two years old.  She became three, and has grown and changed in so many ways.  Now she will soon be four years old, and she is certainly not a baby anymore.  Rebecca peppers us with questions, entertains us with her dances and fashion shows, enthralls us with her sweetness, and treats us to delightful insights into her bright little mind.  She has enjoyed her dance classes, recitals, play dates and shopping trips, movies, birthday celebrations, parties, church, and holidays. 

At the beginning of 2010, I has halfway through with my predoctoral internship and about to begin the most stressful work experience I'd ever encountered.   I had no idea when I walked into CONREP on Jan. 4 that the place would be completely unrecognizable a week later and that the whole establishment would be torment for a few months.  I could also never have imagined how much I would come to love the work I did there with those clients.  I was hoping for a job in Alabama that still seemed a distant hope.  I had no idea that at the close of 2010, it still wouldn't have materialized but would still look bright on the horizon (it's like a desert mirage...seemingly so close and yet not quite within grasp).  2010 brought me to the end of my educational journey.  Defending my dissertation, graduation and finishing internship, getting my transcript and diploma, and being introduced as "Dr. Cisneros" to a patient for the first time were all monumental events.  Professionally, I'm still in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting for my dream job but biding my time by working at a place I love, doing work that I love, and still having most of my time to be home with Rebecca.  I'm extraordinarily blessed to be able to do this.

Throughout 2010, Ramy has continued to be my rock.  He's steady, patient, gentle, loving, hard-working, and devilishly funny.  He has plugged away at work, plowing through more and more complex felony trials and office politics.  Ramy seems to be universally respected by everyone.  This year, he played more golf and has continued to be the delight of both Rebecca's and my life.  He does sweet things to surprise us and make us happy, like showing up for my dissertation defense or buying Rebecca Spiderman DVDs.

In the year 2010, we were blessed with lots of time with family and friends, the opportunity to travel to some new and amazing places, and with health and prosperity.  I pray that God will continue to bless us in 2011.  While we have no idea what the year has in store for us, I know that as long as we have each other, it will be an amazing year.

Ten on Tuesday

1. So, Christmas is over. Rebecca's favorite gift seems to be her new Zhu Zhu Pet suff, which includes two of therockstar hamsters, a gray regular hamster, three new baby hamsters, a hamster carrying case, a hamster sports car, and a hamster princess castle. I lucked upon the castle at the Fayetteville Walmart, of all places, on Christmas Eve Eve. It had been hard to get anywhere online...and I found it at the Walmarts.  This occurred just after I somehow lucked upon a front row parking spot.  God was really smiling on me.  Too bad I didn't buy lottery tickets.

2. Ramy got a Flip video camera for Christmas, and he is obsessed with it. There could be spontaneous filming at any time! 

3. I have active allergies and a sinus infection! Despite being on Xyzal. How does that happen in the dead of winter? I am breathing only because of my drug of choice, Afrin Sinus. 

4. I finished another Jodi Picoult book, House Rules. Even though it isn't new, I hadn't read it before. As always, it's a home run. A friend of mine was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of her new book coming out in January, which she says is her best and most controversial ever. I cant wait!

5. I got a new, ultra lightweight laptop for Christmas. Now I need recs for a new bag. It needs to be shoulder-worthy and have room for files, the power cord, and my wallet, keys, and phone, as well as the laptop. I prefer leather and like pockets.  Color is open. Email me with suggestions!

6.  Lesson learned on Christmas Eve:  When frustrated because the creamed corn is taking forever to heat up, don't turn it up to high and then try to multi-task by getting a gift wrapped at the same time.  The result is scorched cream corn that has to be taken outside to air out.  Trust me on this.

7.  The new year is looking like it is going to be a good one, television-wise.  I have to say that I'm excited to see Brad back on The Bachelor.  Not only is he eye-candy, but I'm excited to see a couple of women smack him and him have to face the women he turned down.  Plus, I always love The Bachelor.  The Real Housewives of Orange County, NYC, and New Jersey are filming, so those will be coming up soon too.  With my new laptop, I can be writing reports or doing class postings or grading at the same time I get my reality tv fix.

8.  Snowy the Elf is still with us.  It was going to be too sad for Rebecca if he left with Santa on Christmas Eve, so we asked Snowy and Santa if he could stay until New Year.  Apparently, they agreed.

9.  Favorite new cookbook:  Barefoot Contessa: How Easy Is That?  I love Ina Garten, and her new book is full of really great things that I will actually make.  In fact, I already made one uber-delicious, ultra-simple recipe:  Soppresata and cheese in puff pastry.  So what if they don't have soppresata in middle Tennessee?  Leftover Honeybaked ham worked like a CHARM.

10.  Rebecca's catch-phrase of the day:  "Oh gracious!"  She says it in exasperation, often covering her head with her hands at the same time, usually in the context of having been asked a question she doesn't want to answer or in response to teasing that she has grown tired of.

Christmas

I was quite paranoid about Ramy's travel for Christmas.  He was set to leave Ontario at 1 a.m. on Christmas Eve and to arrive in Nashville at 9:30 a.m.  Because of all the crazy weather in the country, I was worried he could get stranded somewhere.  I spent much of the evening checking his flight status, in between gift wrapping.  Thankfully, all his flights were precisely on time or early and he arrived as scheduled.  We were so glad to have Daddy with us finally! 

  

We breakfasted at the Cracker Barrel, and then were back in Fayetteville by noon.  He napped, while we cooked and baked.  Then he played Santa's helper by putting together a car, sequestered into the living room. 

Christmas Eve night, we went to communion services and then on to our family gathering at Aunt Margaret's.  Everyone was there (plus the girlfriend of my cousin Logan), and we had no family drama.  Just lots of yummy food (minus the creamed corn that I ruined by trying to do too many things at once).  For the first time, we did not all exchange gifts, and it made for a much more pleasant holiday and evening.  We just bought gifts for the kids, and we enjoyed watching them open their things.  We hit the road in order to get our little girl in bed before Santa arrived.

We tracked Santa on NORAD and learned that he had entered U.S. airspace.  Rebecca was FRANTIC to get all the treats out for Santa, Rudolph, Santa Mouse, and the reindeer and to get in bed before he arrived. 

 

My mom and I were up until 2:30 a.m. to get everything ready for Christmas. 

Luckily, Rebecca slept in until 7:30!  I fully anticipated she might wake at 4 a.m.!  We all got a Christmas surprise in the form of gorgeous, white, fluffy, wet snow!  Ramy took Rebecca out in it first thing, before we even checked out what Santa had brought.  We enjoyed opening gifts while watching the beautiful snow fall outside (especially since we still had electricity!  Our last "white" Christmas was actually an icy Christmas, and we had no power for 5 days.  Not so fun.).













Rebecca ran into the living room and was ecstatic at what she saw!  The first thing she noticed was her stash of Zhu Zhu Pets and accessories.  Then she noticed that she got her Bitty Baby Twins.  We had to point out to her that they were sitting on a car for her! 

We tried out the battery-powered car right in the hallway!  Rebecca quickly mastered the forward and back buttons and the gas pedal.  Lord help us!

One of Rebecca's big gifts was a box of dress-up things from Grammy, Mommy, and Daddy.  She loves it!  It's got princess and queen dresses, a doctor costume, a vet costume, a lot of play jewelry, and six pairs of Disney Princess shoes.

We leisurely opened gifts and saved our stockings for later.  Rebecca was so excited about the things she had picked out for each of us.  At the top of her excitement chain was the Spiderman t-shirt we'd gotten Ramy.  She was so excited about it that she had told him what it was three times before Christmas morning!  I am not sure she even realized she'd spilled the beans.  So cute! 

We then had brunch of baked french toast and quiche.  Afterward, we enjoyed our gifts and the snow.  Ramy and I went for a walk in the neighborhood and then took a drive through the surrounding farmland. 



I had an obsession with photographing farm animals, particular cows, for some reason.  Here's my favorite Christmas cow and a flock of cows on the move!

And a horse that wondered why I snuck up on him.

Because the weather was worsening, we cancelled our Christmas evening family dinner and had just the four of us.  We also investigated our stockings.  Rebecca was dressed in one of her princess dresses, along with a chair armcover, which she was using as a head covering.  I'm not sure why.

It was such a wonderful Christmas.  We enjoyed a holiday that was more relaxing than usual, largely thanks to the weather.  We all loved our thoughtfully-chosen gifts, but appreciated even more the people with whom we celebrated.   The evening brought even more snow!

  

Scenes from a beautiful, snowy Christmas in Tennessee

I'll post Christmas pictures from the inside (i.e., gift opening) later.  But for now, we're enjoying a gorgeous white Christmas in Tennessee.  I don't think I've ever had a more wonderful Christmas.  Because of the snow, we cancelled tonight's family dinner (we had one last night, after all), and we've just relaxed and enjoyed the gorgeous snow and the leisurely exploration of presents, plus Ramy and I ventured out into the snow.

Scenes from our white Christmas!

I am infatuated with the holly tree outside.  If only I could have corralled a cardinal to sit on the branches, it would have been perfect.



Pure joy: