December 2022 Family Update
DECEMBER – The most wonderful time of the year!
Skylar started the month with a lacrosse tournament in Georgia and while there, she got to see one of her besties from summer camp. The rest of the month was filled with hockey practices, work, and more lacrosse practices. She also got to see all of her cousins when they had their Christmas gift exchange at Aunt Laura’s house. School ended on the 14th and she had a solid 3-week break aside from a few shifts at work and a couple of hockey games.
I rediscovered my love of cooking this month. I blame Snoop Dogg & Jen Hatmaker. I love their new cookbooks! My friend, Paula, also gifted me Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table and a beautiful Pioneer Woman Ceramic Dutch Oven, so I’m excited to start using those too!
We kept all of our Christmas traditions (and we have a lot) but we swapped out the Dancing Lights for Zoolumination and I’m so glad. It was breathtaking and fascinating! I wish I had bought the season pass. Next year, I will for sure.
We knocked out all of the Harry Potter movies and I cooked the traditional Hannukah meal again on Christmas Eve. I know, I know. Look, we like both. Ben stayed with us on Christmas Eve again – I think this was his 4th holiday with us – and we also had a special guest for Christmas Eve dinner. If you ever find yourself with nowhere to go on Christmas – please come to my house! I would absolutely love it. I’ll even make sure you have Christmas Eve pajamas (don’t worry – they don’t match) and this year I figured out how to accommodate vegan. In fact, the challa bread turned out even better than last year.
Skylar’s gift was probably my favorite this year. There was an elaborate treasure hunt to find the gift box and inside was this beautifully embroidered hat. I wear it pretty much non-stop. That kid is one of the most thoughtful people in my life! She also took me out for sushi and ice cream on my birthday.
I took off work between Christmas and New Year’s but mainly worked on personal projects that had gotten behind and I finished up last-minute touches to launch HBI next month. I’ve also been dealing with some tooth pain since November that hasn’t yet been resolved. I’m now being referred to an Endodontist. Great, so excited – ugh!
On a better note, Onyx had her last chiropractic adjustment of the year and is still limp-free. She’s also down a few pounds now that she can run and play again – and boy does she. They race around the yard and wrestle every day. She is night and day different from where she was 4 months ago and it only took a few visits to fix her up. No surgery required! I am incredibly thankful she’s back to herself.
We rang in the new year with the Sloans and had a blast playing Poetry for Neanderthals and Cards Against Humanity. I’m likely biased but I think our kids are the coolest. We had the best time and laughed so hard. Whoever said you can’t be friends with your kids was missing out on an awesome relationship. I think this is absolutely a case where you can be BOTH/AND – both a parent and a friend at this age.
I’ll write more in my year in review but I loved looking back and finding the positive moments from this year. 2022 is the year I survived. Hoping 2023 is the year I thrive!
