Holidays with the Fedota & Johnson Clans

Well, now that it’s February it seems only appropriate to finally update this blog with our holiday excitement.  Does anyone else feel like the holidays (or more realistically the entire 2011) flew by so quickly???  I feel like I turned the calendar after my birthday (October) and it was like boom, boom, boom…hello 2012!  I already wrote about Thanksgiving and such so I’ll just focus on the Winter Holidays… 

Christmas:

In late November Dave asked me to come spend Christmas in Wisconsin.  We had been doing a dance around this topic for a few months as we both wanted the same few things:

1.     To spend as much time together this winter as possible

2.     To spend Christmas together

3.     To spend Christmas with our own family

4.     To have the other spend Christmas with us and our family

However we both realized that it was a lot to ask of someone…asking them to spend this major holiday away from their family (even if it was to spend it surrounded by people who love and care about you).  It’s just different when it’s not your own mom and dad.  Dave came up with the perfect solution (and okayed it with his family first).  Dave asked me to spend Christmas Eve with his family (going to church, family dinner, Santa’s arrival…the whole shebang!) and then invited my family to join us on Christmas day.  Sounded like a wonderful plan…I just needed to make sure it was all right with my family. This would be the first time in 23 years I wouldn’t be waking up on Parkplace Drive on Christmas morning.  I had to make sure I would be okay with this!  Wow!  I warned Dave that I may be a little emotional on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning without my family but knowing that they would be joining us later in the evening made things so much better.  We both realized that this wouldn’t become a yearly event but it was a great way to transition into sharing holidays.   

Group Shot with Santa!  :)

I have to say…Christmas in Wisconsin was wonderful.  Church was just like church at home, the food was fantastic, everyone was merry in spirit and we were surrounded by people who love and care about us.  But I did notice the absence of my mom, dad and brother…not to mention the Grady family!  There was no after church drive thru this year or pretending to oompa loompas during the service. 

 We woke up on Christmas morning, had a lovely leisurely breakfast and set ourselves around the coffee table in the family room to begin opening presents.  I actually cried when I saw that I had a matching stocking by the fireplace (complete with my name embroidered on it!).  And the knowledge that my family was in route made it so wonderful.  I think the only change I would have made to Christmas this year would be the addition of a little snow.  I’m not typically one to complain about weather but I could definitely go for a little more snow this year! 

Santa found me at Parkplace Drive even though I was sleeping in Wisconsin...so when my parents arrived in WI we celebrated Christmas even more!  How fun!  :)  So much wonderful togetherness!  Dave and I are so very very lucky!!!  

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen...that really says Cooking Teacher Barbie!!!  What girl WOULDN'T want this toy!?!?

New Years:

With the absence of snow this year (really throughout the entire US) it was decided that skiing for New Years probably wasn’t the best idea/use of our time.  There was very little snow in Colorado.  (Insert slightly sad face here)  With the lack of snow in mind it was announced that we would be heading south for a few days to relax and soak up the sun in Naples, Florida.  What a lovely time! 

We arrived in Naples to a warm 75 (at 6 at night).  We got to the house, unloaded the car, cleaned up and headed to dinner.  DELICIOUS!!!!!  The next few days were spent lounging around the pool, relaxing in the hot tub, snacking on shrimp (not me!), laughing, and wonderful family togetherness! 

We love our party hats!  :) 

New Years Eve this year was unlike any I’ve ever experienced.  We went to dinner in penguin suits (as Dave’s brother so kindly refers to tuxedos) and long dresses.  We dined on fantastic cuisine and danced the night away to a live band.  We enjoyed free flowing champagne and what I’ve been newly introduced to as a ‘raw bar’ (which looked wonderful but I kept my distance from the shellfish).  We rang in the new year laughing and smiling with so many things to be thankful for in 2011 and so many wonderful things to look towards in 2012. 

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!