Ohio for Christmas has been a ritual of mine for the past 4 years. My parents' Christmas in Boston is relatively low key, so they have no qualms waiting an extra few days to celebrate it with me and my husband. On the flip side, Christmas in Ohio is a huge deal. From seeing my grandparents-in-law to a guaranteed white Christmas every year, I love it.
My husband and I drove from New Hampshire to Ohio this year. The surprising thing is that, given the hassle of getting to New Hampshire to Logan Airport, going through airport security, and dealing with layovers, we really only lost about 3 or 4 hours, even after factoring in a snowstorm on the Pennsylvania border.
The trip itself was gorgeous. There really is nothing like driving through Pennsylvania's part of the Appalachian Mountains. Just reminds me that I really need to get back into the habit of hiking once spring hits.
I got to cut down my first Christmas tree. I must admit, being someone who grew up in the Boston area all her life, only to move to a "metropolitan" section of New Hampshire, I didn't even
know there were tree farms where you cut down your own tree. My angle was a little lopsided, but overall I did pretty well (for a newbie).
My sister-in-law's decorating skills really come into play during Christmas. This table setting and centerpiece is just one of the amazing decorations she did.
And what's a Christmas without sister-in-law plushies? They went well with my sister-in-law's Pomsky and my dalmation.
It's funny how quickly rituals and routines become so important to you. I look forward to so much, from my grandma-in-law's Box of Treasures gift to sitting at the "children's table". And it's nice to spend some time in Ohio, where a "packed mall" is a parking lot where a little over 50% of the spots are taken. Given how congested Boston and the Spit Brook/Daniel Webster Highway can be, it's certainly a breath of fresh air.
On top of a box of treasures from her as well, my mother-in-law got me a set of antique silver silverware. I'm honestly in awe of it. I'm going to have to store it at a bank or something until we have a house with a proper security system.
You know what I love about my husband? He never goes into anything blind. When he went into getting me an engagement ring, not only did he design exactly what he wanted, but he researched everything about diamonds, to the point that he was almost on par with the dealer. He even made sure to only pick from certified conflict-free diamonds (since he knew that was something important to me). And, for my gift, not only did he get me a wide angle lens (something I've been talking about getting since forever), but he researched the different types of lenses until he knew he was getting the best bang for his buck.
So, on top of being the owner of quite easily the sexiest wide angle lens, I also got a photography gear backpack with a tripod carrying strap. Perfect for when we scale
Mt Monadnock again.
I only took 4 days off for our trip of Ohio. But, combined with where Christmas and New Year's fell this year, I have nearly 2 weeks off. Much needed, given how insane my classroom has been as of late. Hopefully this, plus our trip to
Florida, a few weeks ago, will give me a bit of a clear mind for 2013. If it's anything as nutty as 2012 was, I'm in for quite a year.
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