Christmas- eastcoast style!

It's kind of hard to believe that the Christmas season is coming to a close, but since it is, I'd like to relect on the month of December, since it's been such a crazy yet fun-filled one. Christmas for us started at Thanksgiving. The deorations and baking (yes it's true, I put my tree up that early!) and general festivities began and didn't stop throughout the month. I got the wonderful oppurtunity to go down to the Washington DC temple with some ladies in my ward and we made a party of it- complete with hot chocolate and Milano cookies in our jammies. The weekend after that, I went up north and enjoyed seeing the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall with my mom, which was a last minute gift from a friend of mine. The following weekend, I went back up to New York (THIS one was planned) to see Pygmalion on Broadway starring Claire Danes. I was sitting in the front row and had a great view of the actress I'd watched since "My So-Called Life" and "Romeo and Juliet", so it was a particularly thrilling event for me! And the weekend after that began the Christmas celebration with my dad hosting a dinner (homecooked chinese food courtesy of in-law cousins!) for the family. My mom came in on a train that night. Sunday was relaxing and enjoyable. My aunt Sherma was the host this night, complete with dinner, presents, the kids dressing up as the nativity, and lots (I do mean LOTS!) of pictures! Christmas Eve, we shopped and finished up Christmas details, then went to a midnight service at a very old church here in Lancaster. Devan didn't get into town until late that night. We did the traditional Christmas morning santa exchange (this year was lean, but we still seemed to have plenty to open). After a breakfast of french toast (found out that mom actually doesn't like french toast-is that normal?) we rolled up our sleeves and began baking....and baking...and baking! We baked for hours! Two types of fudge, three types of cookies, and a few dozen fluffy rolls later, we were done, and went on a walk to enjoy the warm weather. We then delieverd our plates of goodies to family and friends in the area. I've found that the most memorable and fun things are the ones that we do one the spur of the moment. Lots of the things that happened this season were unexpected- and those are the ones I'm going to remember forever! Alas, we didn't have a white Christmas (thanks to the 40 degree weather) but never fear, we'll see that snow sometime in January and then we'll wish that it was spring. I think I'm just going to have to accept that here in PA, it rains on Christmas. I don't think I've ever heard that song..."I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas"? Nope, it doesn't work. I hope everyone reading this had a wonderful, unforgetable Christmas!