No Place Like HOME for the Holidays!

In the beginning of November I asked my dad what he wanted for Christmas his reply was, "You."  Well that made me start thinking, I really don't need to begin my own family Holiday traditions when I don't have my own family yet.  Instead I'm gonna go spend it in Utah with Mom and Dad!  I was able to finagle a couple personal days from work, had Amanda Horrocks buy my plane ticket with her credit card (because I don't have a high enough credit limit - haha), mailed her a check the next day, coordinated with my boss to drop me off at the Manchester Airport and a pick up from Amanda once I landed.  Everything was kept a secret from my mother, father, Keni, and Tay.  They had NO idea I was coming.
  

About 10:00 pm on Tue 12/21/2010
I took this picture and sent it to my mother at my layover in Vegas with the caption, "Guess where I am?"
She thought it was an ATM.  Close mom.  :)

9:30am Wed 12/22/2010
Mom's surprise.  I love this one.



12:30pm Wed 12/22/2010
Didn't get Tay's surprise on film, but check out this huge embrace.  I have missed her.

2:30pm Wed 12/22/2010

 Dad's surprise.  Didn't work out so well.  That's ok.

6:00pm Wed 12/22/2010

Keni's surprise at Cafe Sabor.

Wed 12/22/2010
Gotta stop by Logan and watch them Aggies with my greatest friends.
Trevor Park, Me, President Trevor, Amanda, and Nessa.

Fri 12/24/2010
Three stooges.

Fri 12/24/2010
Decorating the Christmas tree at midnight on Christmas Eve.  Guess they never got around to decorating it, but it doesn't matter, I was happy to be apart of the tradition again.

Fri 12/24/2010
Midnight Mass once again.

Now on the way back from Utah the East Coast was hit with a massive storm that shut down airports from Maine to New York.  And as you know, I was New Hampshire bound; however, not for long.  I was stuck in Detroit for an extra day.  Luckily, I was put up in a hotel, given three meal vouchers, and a ticket for the next day riding first class.  Did you hear that?  First class.  I got to walk on the little blue rug that says 'Sky Priority' as I was boarding the plane.  Flight attendants don't give their sky priority members peanuts or plastic cups, no way, save those for the town folk in the back of the plane.  First class nobility are given drinks in glass cups and fruit with life-size candy bars.  It was quite the experience.  And probably the only time I will ever have that experience, let's be honest.



Mon 12/27/2010
My alcove in the Detroit airport for the hours of 3:00-6:00pm.  I would change my nesting ground every couple of hours just to mix things up.  Don't want to ever get 'comfortable' in the airport.

 Even though it was a bit rough getting back (well, not really - first class was pretty nice) my trip home was simply WONDERFUL.  I am so incredibly blessed it was able to work out the way it did.  I was able to visit friends, Logan, my old advisor, the Taylor family, my Grandparents, and the Stuart family. I made cornbread and chili for Christmas Eve.  Mom helped me cook Christmas Day dinner which included ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, and brownies.  After dinner on Christmas our little family sat by the fire, played Clue (Stuart family favorite - dad is even discovering a new way to play, he calls it the "collegiate level"), read the storybook mom gets every year, and later just chatted with each other.  It couldn't have been a better way to spend Christmas with some of the people I love the very most.