Tom & Alissa

In fact, we returned yesterday around 4:00 pm, but we worked late into the night trying to get the apartment in order. See, we finished painting last Friday night around midnight, and then spent another three hours trying to get the apartment set up and putting only a dent in it, so we had to keep on it when we got home. Tom’s home working on it today while I’m back in the (very empty) office.

Yes, we had a delightful Christmas, despite the rough year it’s been. I think we’re all very happy to see 2006 coming to a close. Christmas is a big deal in our family and we love celebrating it. In fact, the Christmas celebrations have followed roughly the same gameplan since I was a baby, as far as I can tell (and I’m the oldest grandchild in my mom’s family). Now there’s me, my cousin Kayla (age 18), my brother Sean (age 17), and three little cousins ranging from age four to eight. Little kids make all the difference at Christmas.

We got into Albany mid-afternoon on Saturday. Nonnie (Dad’s mom), Aunt Jeanne (Dad’s sister), and my cousin Dan (Dad’s nephew) were in town for the day, painting the town red and all that. We headed out to a friend’s birthday party with all of them, then spent the evening at home exchanging presents between ourselves (they each got an autographed copy of “my” book, among other things).

They left before we got up on Sunday, and after a day spent hanging out at home with the family, we headed to Terra Nova for their Christmas eve service, then dinner with Mom’s family, then hanging out at the Rennells’.

Monday, of course, was Christmas, and we got many things that we had asked for and many more that we hadn’t asked for but wanted. Notably, we both got J.Crew scarves and gloves and sweaters from Mom’s sisters, a Crate & Barrel giftcard from my grandparents, a bunch of great books that Mom had picked from our Amazon wishlists, lots of chocolate, and too many other things to recall. Among my gifts to Tom were a sweater from Banana Republic that he’d been eyeing and the Sweeney Todd Broadway revival soundtrack. Among his gifts to me were Amy Sedaris’ rockin’ new book, DVDs of 10 Things I Hate About You and Bridget Jones’ Diary (from “Your Own Mr. Darcy”), a set of a dozen mini cookie cutters, the Last Kiss soundtrack (so far awesome!) and a ton of other things. He went all out. :)

We had a party Tuesday night at the house. Sarah came over and we made about one billion cookies and still had a ton of dough left over (now residing in my mom’s freezer), and many people came over and partied it up with us. We snuck out with Steve and Tami to the Troy Pub (oh, excuse me, Brown’s Brewing Company) for Christmas ale. It only comes once a year.

We have many and sundry plans this weekend, including one of Angela’s signature all-day dinner parties on Saturday and a New Years’ Eve spent in Jersey City. (Pssst, don’t tell, but I think New Years’ is my favorite holiday in the whole year. You get a whole new year, with no mistakes in it yet.)