Holidaze

We are getting deeper into January as I write this blog post about the holidays. Poor, forgotten little blog. There used to be a time when I had energy and ideas to blog almost every single night. Oh well, there's a season for everything and I guess the season I am is the "kind of forgetting about my blog but not being willing to give it up because I do occasionally enjoy it" era. I like to think that I will be grateful in my old age (assuming blogger doesn't go down and take all my stuff with it) to go back and read random entries from my earlier days.

So *sips coffee* let's do this recap for future elder Anna.

Our holidays were quite spread out. At least that's how it felt since we had some kind of celebration every single weekend until, ironically enough, the weekend before Christmas. It was fun! It was exhausting! Here is the rundown.

1. American Thanksgiving

 Levent's Canadian cousins (and an Aunt) came to visit! Despite my pie debacle of 2023 (they had a lot of issues), it was a good weekend. We had a big feast essentially all day on Thursday. Then, on Friday, we had a Turkish breakfast all together we (Blake, Brendan, Levent and myself) hung out with the cousins, Mariah, Alanna and Joey. We took them around German Village, the Short North as well as great American destinations like Trader Joe's and Target. We also chilled at B&B's and watched a movie.

2. Grandma Naomi's 90th Birthday party in Ontario

The following weekend, we returned the visit and headed up to Ontario for Levent's grandma's birthday weekend. We actually hung with Mariah, Alanna and Joey again. Two weekends in a row! It was great. We mostly chilled at Mariah's house until it was time for Grandma Naomi's party on Sunday afternoon. I had never been up for a Martin Family gathering in KW due to how far away we lived in Kansas. So it was great to be able to join everyone in celebrating Naomi.

3. Miller Christmas

This was to be our first Christmas as Columbus residents and ironically, both Miller couples were going to be out of the country. (Wilbur and Shirley were going to Japan and Blake and Brendan were going to Puerto Rico). Because of this, we had our Miller Christmas a few weekends early. We started on Friday night and partied until Sunday afternoon. And by partied I mean we ate a lot of great food, puzzled and watched a lot of sports. We went to a movie in the theatre as per usual (we saw The Holdovers this year) and even went to a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game. It was a lovely time. Plus, it was so great to not drive 12 hours to get here.

4. Christmas in Virginia 

My family didn't get together for Christmas this year. Instead, Levent and I went down to Virginia the following weekend to hang out with the batch of Yoders down there. We did our typical things of eating good food (we had a fondue night!), playing a few games, went shopping, opened gifts and going out for breakfast. We even went to a JMU game (which was very sparsely attended since all the students were on break).

5. Quiet Christmas

Back home, Levent and I had a pretty quiet Christmas. (Poor Levent was under the weather). There were moments when I was a bit sad not to be with family on the actual holiday. But overall, it was very nice to wear sweatpants, watch movies, puzzle and eat yummy food together on the couch. We watched a ton of movies. On Christmas we watched 4 movies and on boxing day we watched another 4 - all in a row while we puzzled. We also were watching all three Miller dogs (Sienna, Korva and Tito of course). So we took them on some hectic, dreary walks too. A highlight for me was accidently waking up super early on Christmas eve morning and deciding to go to a patisserie (Pasticia Vera) at 7am to get breakfast pastries (almond croissants) and Christmas eve desserts. Incredible. One of my new favorite places in the city.

6. Crappy New Years Eve

Actually it wasn't crappy. I just do not like New Year's Eve very much. (Although I revel in New Year's Day). Maybe I can say that I don't celebrate NYE and that will help shift my mindset next year. For the finale of 2023, Levent and I had supper with Wilbur and Shirley (freshly back from Japan) and then played a few rounds of this Ontario marble game. We also had a fairly disappointing yule log cake that I had made and yelled at earlier. (Maybe that tradition has hit the dust. Or maybe it will take a year off next year). Anyway, I eventually went to bed and read a little bit before turning my light off a few minutes before midnight, which is how I usually celebrate (or maybe that's not observing?)

The end of the year went by in a whirlwind. Currently, I am trying to go about gentle January where I am kind to myself. But it's still January and very grey here. (That has been a huge adjustment). So things seem pretty ho-hum. But that's the cycle of the year I guess. Oh well.

Happy 2024!