So what did we do over winter break? Oh geez! So much. It is amazing how much we can cram into 10 days!
So we got out of school on Friday... and we went out to happy hour and then out to dinner. We found a new favorite restaurant. And if you are ever in the DC area, you have to eat there! We have actually eaten there 3 times since Thanksgiving!
Founding Farmers is just amazing! That's my fried chicken, waffles, and macaroni & cheese. There were more beans at the beginning, but I had to eat them first to make sure I ate all my veggies...
On Saturday, we had a big day! We worked on Baby Girl's room all morning. We finished what we had. The painting is done. The plugs are updated. The furniture is where it should be. There will be a separate post on this with photos and everything. Then we had a bigger afternoon. We went to IKEA. Matt's idea... for organizational stuff. There is a post on this!
Sunday, Matt went to Drew's and had a boys day watching football. I was left to make things work. I assembled the bookcases we bought and started moving things around and into their new home.
Monday was Christmas Eve, and I finally got my blood work done for the glucose test. Then we headed to Linda's. It was the first time we got to see her new house and church. Her house is beautiful. It feels more like her and like home than her apartment did in Manchester. We had a lovely dinner, all of Matt's favorite foods - a Thanksgiving meal in fact. I love Christmas Eve services. But you know that. You read
my post on the holidays.
Linda gave a wonderful sermon. There were a number of different parts. She talked about how this year was different. We were all there together for the first time. Which was true; there were people missing from years past and new people in the pews (us) and on the pulpit. She also talked about the lenses we wear. I could completely relate. After taking the Intro to Judaism course, and because I am pregnant, I am seeing a lot of the same things from different and new points of view. It was very interesting. I don't remember how that part related back to the story, but I took stuff away from it, and that has to count. Right?
Then there were presents that night because Phil & Lauren were spending the night with us and they were spending the morning with her family. We had breakfast together and then took a tour of the church. It was beautiful! Then we spent the day doing what we do on Christmas day - we went to the movies. Matt, Linda, & I saw "Life of Pi." It was beautiful and wonderful. And the 3D was to die for!
That night, Matt left me at the train station. No worries, I had a ticket. I took the train from MD to CT to spend a few days with just the ladies. We woke up the next morning and went up to Canyon Ranch. Three days of relaxing by the fire, watching the snow come down, eating healthy food (I think I learned that meant no preservatives more than anything else), and getting massages. It was a wonderful way to spend almost three days with just my mom & sister. And, as per the usual, we were talking about going back before we even left.
While I was away, my husband stayed home and worked on the house. Yea that's right. I went and had massages, and Matt painted the master bedroom. And yes I know that we have painted every room in the house since we moved in (except the guest room, living and dining room) and that maybe we should inhale less pain fumes, but we are looking for the right colors. And the colors I liked when we moved in, don't do it for us anymore. He also "had to" play video games and drink beer - I put that on the list also.
Friday, we went home to CT. DUH - it was Shabbat! And Matt was coming!! And Dan was coming!! And Dan was bringing his GIRLFRIEND!!!!!! Holy cow! (Hi Emma!) There were so many happy things all coming together in one house! So Friday night, Shabbat, Matt got stuck in tons of traffic... eeks. Stupid Delaware turnpike. Stupid New Jersey construction on the turnpike. We hate you both! So we had a late dinner, which was appropriate because we were also having a late Chanukah. We celebrated Chanukah the first time at Thanksgiving, but we didn't get a chance to eat latkes (Matt's favorite part), so we had them for Shabbat. Then we opened presents.
And I know you are wondering what I thought of Emma... well she brought me cupcakes! I guess they were really for everyone, but they were chocolate with peppermint frosting. So clearly they were really for me! I am so easily won! Does that make me easy? When it comes to cupcakes - I am OKAY WITH THAT! But honestly, she is a sweetheart. And my favorite part of her? Aside from the part where she makes cupcakes? She likes my brother, and he likes her back. And they make each other happy. Also, she had no problems handling the Stones - which was really impressive. And she learned how to play Settlers without complaining. So Matt is 100% on board too!
Saturday? We had a ladies morning at the nail salon. All 4 of us. No longer 3. And soon to be 5. Crazy counting skills right there! And then we got snowed in. All day.
Misty was in heaven! It is the only time she acts like a dog!
And the boys had a great time! Snowballs. Snow angels. Dan. Emma. Matt. Andy.
But no little dogs. It was too cold for their little legs... They maintained control of the porch, with Sarah.
I love my family. Biological. Extended. In-laws. ALL of them.
"I almost farted everyone out of the house! I was sad-face because then I was lonely." ~~ Matt wrote this for you, no worries, its still about me.
We played games. And sat in front of the fire. Some of us picked fights (gotta do what we do). and we watched movies. Lovely.
Sunday. The snow had stopped and the plows had come. And Andy's keys were missing... we spent an hour searching in the house before we thought about the outside... and we had been playing all over the front yard and driveway. And then they plowed... but not worries - they were in the SNOW ANGEL!
And then it was time to go home. We decided to drive through PA instead of down through Jersey. The drive was so much prettier! And smelled so much better!
Then it was New Years Eve. Crazy to think about it being 2013. We dropped off my car at 7 in the morning for some recall work. Want to hear how stupid it was? If the front seat passenger side airbag was off - so was the back seat. That's no good. Especially with a baby on the way. So that was dealt with. Then I ran errands and Matt assembled the
baby's furniture. When I got back, he was mostly done. I couldn't believe it. And standing there in the doorway, it was beyond real that this Baby Girl is on her way, and soon!
For NYE, we had friends over. A lovely pajama party. I made dinner. And then we played games all night. The ladies helped me with the Baby's room and helped me see what I was missing. We all stayed up until the ball dropped, and then I dropped. Why should I stay up any later?
New Year's Day, we always go to Matt's Great Aunt's house in Baltimore. Ann Louise has been hosting an afternoon lunch for as long as I have known the Reese's. It is always nice to be with family around the holidays and it is a great time to catch up.
So that is our "break" in review.
Oh I'm sorry. This is over a month old. What's worse, is that I started it so long ago, and thought I finished it, and never looked back....so sad. So where the beginning and then where I left off...
This trip was Eliana's first trip on an airplane. And she was such a champ! We were more nervous. We had a second diaper bag packed with us in case we were stuck on the airplane, but we didn't need it. Our flight out to Colorado was about 4 hours and left at 11 so we kept her up all morning and she fell asleep as the plane was boarding. She slept right through take off. At dinner point she woke up and played with us, ate, then fell back asleep. We fed her again during landing. In case you're curious, yes the front bathroom had a fold down thing to change her diaper. However, if she was any longer she would have been touching both walls. 
Another summer of travel and family. Our first trip this summer was new for everyone. For the first time we were able to travel with the Reeses.
We spent just under a week out in the hills of West Virginia. We were able to explore the surrounding towns and eat wonderful food. We saw some beautiful waterfalls and spent a lot of time playing games together.
But my favorite outing was in memory of Gerry. It wasn't entirely apparent at the time, but it was in retrospect. We spent an afternoon riding the train. It was a two hour trip and we spent it playing with Eliana and taking lots of pictures.
No lie, I thought I had already posted this... Apparently not. I hadn't uploaded any pictures or read it (since I wrote it on my phone). But my bad.
Monday was MLK day and inauguration day. Matt went to the gym (shocker) and I monitored the President, I thought he did a great job. We grabbed breakfast and took a walk on the boardwalk. It was beautiful and sunny. But I walk really slowly and it drives Matt nuts, but next time he can be pregnant with a baby pushing on his diaphragm. We walked past Johnny Rockets on the boardwalk. Matt & I started dating 8.5 years ago in spite of that Johnny Rockets. And it happened right after I fractured my elbow on the last trip to AC.
So we headed back and he went looking for poker while I saw the VP and President sworn in again. After lots of reading, watching the ocean, and napping, I went looking for my husband. We each lost or money at craps and won it all back and then some at separate blackjack tables. Then off to dinner. We went to a whiskey place and had amazing food. Duck fat fries, whiskey sour, chicken sandwich, great beer, and a rum punch. Followed by a Jameson milkshake and chocolate cake. It was my birthday dinner! and delicious. 
